The Price of Freedom
by Annie-chan
Summary: Status: In progress. Semi-AU. Yumichika and Ikkaku are imprisoned at Las Noches. Simple escape isn't always an option for prisoners, Yumichika finds. Sometimes sacrifices need to be made. Chapter 8 posted.
1. Disturbance

**Author's Notes:** Okay, this'll take a bit of explaining, so **PLEASE READ THIS FIRST!**

I love Yumichika, and I love IkkaYumi. They just seem so _right_ together. This fanfiction contains IkkaYumi with a huge twist. Yumichika is a woman in this story. Yes, you read that right: **Yumichika is female in this fanfic**. The reason is simple. When I first saw Yumichika while reading the manga, I thought he was a woman. Everyone knows how effeminate Kubo-sensei designed him to be, and while reading manga, you can't hear their voices. I therefore thought he was a tallish, small-chested woman. I was a bit disappointed to find out he was indeed a man, as I thought I had found a kickass woman warrior. I eventually realized how lovely IkkaYumi is, so my disappointment wore off. But, I still think it would have been great if Yumichika had really been female, as truly awesome female characters are few and far-between, no matter what genre of entertainment you're talking about. That is my reason for making Yumichika a woman in this story. In no way am I changing his gender because I'm a "yaoi-phobe," or something dumb like that. Read my other IkkaYumi fics—and a large number of my non-_Bleach_ fics—and you'll realize that I do indeed love yaoi and shounen ai. Therefore, I would appreciate not getting accusations of homophobia leveled at me. That happened several years back with another fiction I wrote in which a male character was changed to a female (due to my hearing the rumor that that character had originally been female in early development, but was changed to a male for various reasons). If you look at even the summaries of my long list of fictions, you'll realize that such accusations are unfounded and therefore patently absurd.

With that said, I should issue a warning. **This story contains graphic content, including sex of both consensual and nonconsensual nature.** If you'd rather not read something like that, please go elsewhere. I've read worse, as well as written my fair share of it, but I'm putting out a warning just the same. Better safe than sorry.

_Bleach_ and all characters therein belong to Kubo Tite. No financial gain is incurred by the writing of this story. That should go without saying.

**The Price of Freedom  
><strong>By Annie-chan  
><strong>Chapter One: Disturbance<strong>

_THWACK_

Yumichika skidded backward from her opponent, her tabi socks sliding over the smooth wooden floor. Quickly regaining her footing, she again brought the bokken in her hands up in front of her, stance wary. The impact had reverberated up to her shoulders, so she tightened her grip on the wooden practice sword, resolving not to be taken off guard again.

"Nice block," Ikkaku grinned, holding an identical practice sword in his right hand. "I almost got a hit in this time."

"But you didn't," Yumichika countered, a hint of a smile gracing her lips as well. "And I won't let you get so close next time."

"We'll see," Ikkaku said, switching the bokken back to his left hand. "Why don't you come at me now? You've been on the defensive this whole time."

"Hmph. Gladly." Without hesitation, Yumichika lunged forward, swinging her bokken in a wide arc.

The two of them were sparring in the Eleventh Division's main training room. It was late afternoon, so most of the division members, including the captain and vice-captain, had disbanded for the evening. Yumichika and Ikkaku were the only ones who hadn't left yet. As such, the third and fifth seats had the large room to themselves, meaning they didn't have to hold back in their maneuvers. One of them had made the remark that they hadn't had a good match in a while, which soon led to them facing off against each other, each determined to show the other what they were made of.

Ikkaku watched his longtime companion as she moved fluidly in front of and around him. He didn't just watch her actions, trying to determine where she'd strike next; he watched _her_. Besides Yachiru, she was the only female in the Eleventh Division. Not only that, but she was a deadlier warrior than all but only two of the men, those being Zaraki and Ikkaku himself. Everyone knew the fourth seat wasn't her superior in any way, shape, or form, and only had a higher rank than her because of her refusal to accept the fourth seat, settling instead for the fifth.

This woman fascinated him. They had met each other in Rukongai, long before either had become a shinigami, and had been lovers since shortly after they met. They had had a rocky start, she taking issue with his appetite for violence and he labeling her a high-maintenance drama queen. Time and experience had played their role, however, and over the years they had formed a bond with each other that only seemed to grow stronger with each passing season. They truly were each other's counterparts, and neither could imagine life without the other. That's just how things were for them.

The strong, lithe body of the fifth seat moved in perfect harmony with the weapon in her hands, and Ikkaku felt a grin splitting his lips again. He knew every intimate detail of that body, and she was just as thoroughly acquainted with his. Fighting against her was entirely different than watching her fight someone else, and Ikkaku was not exactly surprised to find that it was turning him on. They hadn't done this in a long time, not with such abandon as now, and he was beginning to feel aroused by the sound of her panting, the impact of their weapons against each other, the intense look in her violet eyes.

Finally, on a split-second decision, his sword switched hands again, his left hand snapping out to grasp her right wrist, her sword hand. This was not a move she was expecting, and she was unable to react before he pulled her against his body, smashing their lips together.

Yumichika squeaked in surprise, her breath stolen by the unexpected kiss. His tongue was in her mouth, his right arm wrapped securely around her waist, his left hand still grasping her wrist. Her eyes fluttered closed, the sensations overtaking her, a soft moan coming from her throat. Ikkaku was far from predictable, but he was rarely _this_ spontaneous. Her free arm wound itself loosely around his neck, the fingers of her captive hand relaxing. The practice sword fell to the floor with a clatter, forgotten.

Ikkaku pulled away when the weapon hit the floor, a mischievous spark in his black eyes. "Disarmed you. I win."

"Wha…?" Yumichika asked dumbly, momentarily confused by the statement, her brain still immersed in the kiss. When she realized a second later what he was saying, her eyes widened in shock. "_THAT WAS A DIRTY, ROTTEN TRICK, YOU CHEATING ASSHOLE!"_ she shrieked, pushing him violently away.

Ikkaku laughed, letting her shove him. His feisty lover had a temper that was well-nigh legendary, and he knew he'd get this sort of reaction. He managed, though just barely, to block a punch aimed for his face, sparing his jaw a painful impact. His eyes met Yumichika's furious ones, feeling another surge of arousal at what he saw.

"If you'd done that in front of the division, I'd _never_ live it down!" Yumichika raged on, her fist shaking in Ikkaku's grip.

"Oh, come on," Ikkaku teased. "I know you like it when I kiss you unexpectedly."

"Not like _that_!" Yumichika snarled. "You would have humiliated me!"

"Really, Yumi," Ikkaku chided, pulling her closer again. "I'd never humiliate you in front of the guys. I love you too much for that."

"I know," Yumichika muttered petulantly. She brought her hand up and deftly clapped it over his mouth as he leaned forward, forestalling another kiss. "You're lucky I love you, too, or I'd have killed you a thousand times over by now."

"I give thanks every day for it," he said against her palm, his voice muffled. His tongue darted out, tasting the salt on her skin. He smiled when her hand jerked back reflexively. His path cleared, he leaned forward again, pressing their lips together in a wet, open-mouthed kiss. He felt more than heard her groan, the tenseness in her body draining away as she gave in to his advances.

Yumichika mentally rolled her eyes. If anyone got horny from fighting, it was Ikkaku. She wasn't exactly complaining, though. He knew how to play her body like a fiddle, and though he infuriated her on occasion, she really did love him. This wild, passionate man desired only her, and she'd be insane not to take every bit of pleasure and devotion he had to offer. She affected him just as deeply, and he had admitted to her and only her just how safe and sheltered he felt while in her arms. They made each other whole.

"If you _ever_ pull that stunt again," she murmured into his mouth, "_especially_ in front of the division, I will castrate you with your own zanpakutou."

"Nah, you wouldn't castrate me," Ikkaku chuckled. "You like _this_—" he ground their bodies together "—too much."

Yumichika whimpered. "You got me there…ahhh…" She sighed as his hands slid up her sides, his thumbs brushing over her small breasts. She felt her nipples tingle, starting to tighten.

"Mmm…"

* * *

><p>The Tenth Division shinigami sighed loudly. Guard duty was always so boring. Almost nothing of note ever happened along the barrier between Rukongai and Seireitei, and most of what <em>did<em> happen wasn't anything shinigami were needed for. He was thankful the responsibility was rotated among shinigami of all the thirteen divisions, as he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle it if this was all he did every day.

"I feel your pain, man," a female voice said nearby. He was currently partnered with a shinigami from the Eighth Division, as each post along Seireitei's walls was manned by two guards at all times. The post they had been assigned to was close to the boundary between the Eleventh Division's territory and that of the Twelfth. "Just be glad this is your last day for a while. I still have a few days to go."

"I _am_ glad," the male shinigami replied. "It seems almost pointless, just sitting around waiting for nothing to happen."

"True," the woman shrugged. "You have to understand the higher-ups' position, though. If we become lax, things _will_ happen that could otherwise have been prevented."

"Yeah, I know," the man said with another sigh. "Doesn't make it any less boring, though." Security throughout Seireitei had been significantly tightened since the murder of the Central 46 and the defection of three captains. No longer were mere hollows the biggest threat to the peace; now the very real possibility, an almost certainty, of attack by the insanely powerful Aizen Sousuke and his arrancar hung heavily upon everyone's consciousness. The Tenth Division shinigami understood the need for watchfulness, but when you were the one saddled with watching, things could get incredibly tedious.

High above them, for now escaping their notice, a crack appeared in the sky.

* * *

><p>"The training room floor?" Yumichika panted, raising an eyebrow in question. She was currently on said floor, her arms around Ikkaku's neck and shoulders, legs spread. Ikkaku knelt between her legs, working the folds of her kosode open and loosening the tie of her hakama.<p>

"Not like this is the first time we've done this in here," Ikkaku muttered against her neck, mouthing the delicate skin there. "Since when do _you_ care where we have sex?"

"I don't," she admitted, tugging at his collar. She lifted her hips once he finished with her sash, letting him pull her hakama from her legs. Her kosode, now no longer fastened either, fell open, revealing her glorious body to him.

"So beautiful…" Ikkaku breathed, kissing down her neck to her chest. "So fucking _perfect_." He never got tired of seeing her like this, naked and aroused and _needing_ his attentions. Even after so many years, Yumichika took his breath away.

She gave a keening whine as his wet mouth closed over a nipple, nibbling and sucking at the highly sensitive flesh. He coaxed it into a hard peak, then without pause switched to the other one, giving it the same treatment. One hand had slipped into her underwear, probing fingers massaging her feminine folds, then sliding into her passage and thrusting shallowly. She cried out loudly as he simultaneously brushed her sweet spot and pressed his thumb firmly against her engorged clit. Wetness surged from her core, her body begging to be penetrated with more than just fingers.

Yes. She was ready.

Pulling his hand from her, receiving a growl of protest as he did so, Ikkaku made quick work of his own clothes. Yanking the skirt of his kosode from the confines of his hakama, he practically ripped the knot from his sash and pushed the lower garment halfway down his thighs. He didn't have the patience at the moment to get fully undressed. Yumichika's kosode was still hanging from her arms after all, and she wasn't complaining.

He pulled her underwear, the last bit of clothing standing between them, from her hips with enough force to snap the flimsy fabric. Yumichika, normally so particular about her clothes, said nothing. She wasn't in any position to care right now.

Ikkaku pulled them together and buried his length in her with a snarl, biting down on her shoulder. He was so hard he hurt. Her tight, inner walls clenching around him was both an incredible relief and an intolerable torture, and he immediately took up a frantic pace, slamming into her with abandon.

Yumichika cried out shrilly as he penetrated her fully with one solid thrust. She clenched hard around him, so hard she almost mistook it for an orgasm. Her hands clawed at his still-clothed shoulders, seeking something to grasp, something to anchor herself to. She gripped the back of his neck, her nails digging into his skin as he lapped at her shoulder, soothing the bite with his tongue.

He rode her hard and fast, gripping her hips with both hands. His hot breath rushed over her neck and shoulder, his mouth wide and panting against her skin as he succumbed to pure instinct. Sounds and scents filled the air, driving them both toward blissful completion.

This was not soft, gentle lovemaking. This was not what they indulged in for what could stretch into hours, focused on wringing as much pleasure from each other as possible. This was primal, ravaging _need_…and Yumichika loved it. She reveled in the animalistic passion just as much as she did the slower, sweeter stuff. She welcomed this manifestation of their desire with open arms and open legs, and she clung to him as he utterly ravished her, screaming and moaning her pleasure to the ceiling.

"K…Kaku…!" she whimpered, the tension building within her approaching unbearable. He was striking her sweet spot with every thrust, sending bolts of pleasure sizzling through her relentlessly. "Ikkaku…! _Ikkaku!_"

One of his hands left her hips and slid between them. A sudden touch upon the center of her ecstasy, little more than a light brush of fingers, and she tumbled over the precipice she had been perched upon. The tension released, unfurling into every corner of her being, wave after wave of bliss rolling through her, her vision going white. She managed only a breathy sob, her voice cut off by the sheer amount of sensation surging through her.

Ikkaku almost lost it when she did, her writhing and clenching and near-violent trembling nearly undoing him. He managed to keep control, however, drinking in his lover's rapture. Only when she began to relax, only when he knew she was coming down from her high, did he let himself go, giving her one last powerful thrust before emptying himself into her depths with a harsh cry.

* * *

><p>"Wh-what the hell is <em>that<em>?" the shinigami from the Tenth Division cried out in shock. He drew his sword, holding it in a defensive stance, trying to comprehend what he was seeing.

High above Seireitei, almost directly over the boundary wall, the sky had split open. A gaping rent now hung ominously over the city, a spider web of cracks radiating out from the jagged edges. Icy reiatsu poured from the hole, demonic and ravenous, and an observer would just be able to make out a few silhouettes standing against the even deeper darkness behind.

"It's like the thing that appeared in the sky when Aizen betrayed us," the shinigami from the Eighth Division said, her voice low in both awe and horror. She stared at the apparition for a moment, frozen, before her hand flew to her throat, activating the emergency communication device all guards were required to wear while on duty. "Mayday, mayday, mayday! A dimensional portal has opened over the Eleventh and Twelfth Divisions! Enemy combatants are visible on the other side! _It's an invasion!_"

Four figures, all resembling shinigami much too closely for anyone's comfort, descended rapidly toward the ground, swords in hand.

* * *

><p>"Love you, Yumi," Ikkaku murmured between kisses, his fingers stroking through her hair affectionately. "Love you."<p>

"Mmm…love you, too," Yumichika sighed, basking in the afterglow of her orgasm. "That was _so good_…"

"You okay?" Ikkaku checked, meeting her eyes. "It got pretty intense there. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Of course not," Yumichika giggled, amusement in her gaze. She leaned up and kissed him, her hand caressing his cheek. "I know you'll never hurt me. I trust you."

He smiled softly, returning the kiss. No one brought his tender side out like Yumichika did. She had been the first to see that side of him, in fact she had made _him_ realize he even _had_ a tender side, and she would be the last. She was the only one precious enough to him to warrant revealing that side of himself. He had no doubt about this.

Yumichika put her arms around Ikkaku, holding him tightly. Fast or slow, rough or gentle, she never felt more complete than when they made love. She hadn't had any other partners since the two of them realized they loved each other, nor had she ever desired any. No one else could satisfy her like he could, and no one else instilled such powerful emotions in her like he did. She hadn't believed in perfect matches or "soulmates" before meeting him, but now there was no doubt in her mind that he was indeed the perfect match for her.

"We should get home," Ikkaku said, extracting himself from her embrace. He grinned mischievously. "There're still plenty of things I want to do to you tonight, my dear."

"You horny ape," she chided, though she was smiling as well. It sounded like they were in for a long night.

The third seat laughed, retrieving her discarded hakama and handing it to her. He then went about fixing his own clothes. It wouldn't be wise to return home half-naked, even by shunpou.

Yumichika pulled the loose garment back over her legs, tucking the skirt of her kosode into it and then retying the sash. She made a sound of annoyance. "I'm going to be sticky until I can get to a bath," she huffed.

"I don't recall you complaining too much while we were actually _doing_ it," Ikkaku reminded her, grinning widely. He knew it was a spurious complaint. One thing that turned him on the most about his lover, and also garnered a great amount of respect from him, was that she wasn't shy about her sexuality at all. Too many of the women he had been with before her had been timid, almost scared of sex and the way their bodies reacted to it. Yumichika, on the other hand, embraced her carnal urges fully, was not ashamed of her body, and was anything but a passive participant between the sheets. "Proper" people viewed women like Yumichika as "sluts," and she had indeed endured the insult on more than one occasion, but there was nothing slutty about her that Ikkaku could see. She had never been one to sleep around indiscriminately, chasing only brief, meaningless pleasure. She valued emotional connections very highly; she just wasn't afraid to indulge her physical desires at the same time.

"Oh, I'm not complaining," she countered. Her voice lowered, _sultry_ being the only appropriate word to describe it. "I _like_ feeling you on my skin, dripping down my legs. No, I _love_ it."

"You little minx," he breathed, her voice, soft as it was, hitting him like a hammer. If she wasn't careful, he was going to take her right there on the floor again, and he told her so in no uncertain terms.

Yumichika laughed, standing. She then spotted her underwear on the floor, one of the side seams popped. She picked it up, clucking her tongue. "Look what you did, Ikkaku," she sighed. "This was such a cute pair, too."

"It's not _my_ fault they make those things so flimsy," Ikkaku snorted. "Maybe you should just go without them altogether."

The wisteria-eyed woman was just about to bite out a retort when they heard it.

An alarm was going off. A very loud, almost earsplitting alarm. Neither one of them had ever heard it outside of drills, and it took them both a moment to recognize what it meant.

"That's…" Yumichika began.

"Enemy combatants," Ikkaku nodded, his face and voice suddenly grim. "We're being invaded."

"Arrancar…?"

"Maybe. C'mon."

Moving quickly, they retrieved their zanpakutou from the arms racks and their waraji from by the door. Donning the straw footwear and gripping their weapons tightly, they rushed from the room, navigating the halls to the nearest exit to the outside.

**To be continued…**

**Author's Notes:** I should probably let you guys know that this fanfic's storyline won't entirely jive with canon. It's AU in more ways than Yumichika being a woman. It's probably more accurate to call it an alternate timeline/reality than an alternate universe, as the setting and characters are the same as in canon, it's just that not everything will happen as Kubo-sensei intended it. That's kinda the point of fanfiction, though. If I'm going to expect you guys to accept something as significant as a character swapping genders, then I don't think playing around with the story will be that big of a deal.

I'm hoping Ikkaku and Yumichika's emotions regarding each other aren't too sappy. I want them to be passionate but believable. I'll be severely disappointed, though, if people think I'm writing Yumichika as a slut. I know there are plenty of people out there who equate robust sexual appetite in a female with sluttishness, and I really hope none of you guys do. I explained in the story itself why she shouldn't be viewed that way. If you think she's a whore for accepting her sexuality, then you have issues that I can't help you with.

Please, please, please leave a review. I want to know if you guys are interested in continuing to read a story where Yumichika is female. I can't be the only person who thinks it would have been neat if he really had been a woman. If you're just going to tell me that I'm an idiot or a homophobe for turning "he" into "she," though, don't bother. I don't need that kind of knee-jerk jackassery, thank you very much.

One last thing: The title of this story is taken from the _Crisis Core_ soundtrack. Those of you familiar with _Crisis Core_ may recognize a parallel or two between that story and this one. If you don't, though, it's not that important. If you're not familiar with _Crisis Core_, well…at least you know where I got my title from.


	2. Abduction

**Author's Notes:** See chapter one for disclaimer.

Many thanks to Tilia Cordata, LilyLuiza, Madi, lelann37, and crazy purple ninja for reading and reviewing chapter one! I'm glad I'm not the only one who's interested in a female Yumichika. I did get one flame, though. It was posted anonymously, of course, so I couldn't respond. The bulk of the "review" was a slew of personal insults. Typical. They act like I'm ruining their favorite character, when all they have to do if they don't like it is hit the "back" button on their browser. It's a pretty simple concept. Needless to say, the flame was deleted post haste. I don't need that kind of dumbassery gumming up the review page.

I had to laugh, though, at their statement that Yumichika's femininity made him unique (and that I ruined it by making him female). That's a riot. The number of effeminate male characters in anime and manga is, if I had to hazard a guess, in the _hundreds_. Yumichika is a unique character, yes, but hardly because of his girliness. The flamer obviously hadn't a clue what they were talking about.

Anyway, I'm rambling. On with the show!

**The Price of Freedom  
><strong>By Annie-chan  
><strong>Chapter Two: Abduction<strong>

"Orders, Nnoitra-sama?"

Quinta Espada Nnoitra Gilga halted in his observation of the shinigami city around him, bringing his attention back to his fracción. Tesla Lindocruz stood nearby, along with two lesser arrancar whom Nnoitra hadn't bothered to learn the names of. Tesla's zanpakutou was already bloodied, red liquid dripping from its sharp point. A shinigami had attacked them as they reached the ground, though the blond arrancar had easily repelled the assault. A female shinigami had dragged her wounded comrade away, and Tesla would have liked to have followed them, though Nnoitra's silence on the matter indicated that they weren't to be bothered with. The shinigami were too weak to waste any effort on. They had bigger game to go after.

"You know why we're here," Nnoitra replied, an edge of irritation in his voice at being asked. "You have our targets' descriptions. You take the grunts behind you and I'll search on my own. If you encounter the primary target, you lead them to me. If it's the secondary target, keep them busy until you get my signal to regroup."

"And if we encounter both at once?" Tesla asked.

"Then send up the signal yourself and I'll come to you," Nnoitra answered, pulling Santa Teresa from where he had embedded it in the ground. He grimaced as a very loud alarm started going off around them. "Now get going. You hear that? It won't be long before the shinigami come swarming all at once. I'd rather just get what we came here for and leave."

"Understood," Tesla nodded, gesturing to the lesser arrancar. "Follow me, you two." The three of them leapt to the roof of a nearby building and then bounded out of sight, beginning their search for the designated targets.

Nnoitra watched them go, then gave an almost bored sigh. Swinging Santa Teresa around to rest against his back, he started off in another direction.

This would be so much easier if they knew what their targets' reiatsu felt like…

* * *

><p>Ikkaku and Yumichika sprinted out into the streets, Yumichika slightly ahead. Her wisteria-colored eyes were hard, all her senses stretching out, trying to locate where the threat was coming from. Her teeth were clenched tight behind her closed lips, adrenaline beginning to pour into her bloodstream.<p>

"Yumi!" Ikkaku suddenly exclaimed, his hand coming down hard on her shoulder. She stopped abruptly, and would have fallen if Ikkaku hadn't been gripping her shoulder tightly, keeping her upright.

"_What_, Ikkaku?" she snapped, annoyed by the way he had stopped her. "What the hell—"

"Look at that," Ikkaku cut her off, pointing upward. He was looking at something in the sky with an expression of mixed dread and alarm.

When Yumichika looked up, she instantly forgot her annoyance. Hanging over the Eleventh Division was a hole in the sky, gaping above them like a huge, toothless mouth. It looked like it wanted to swallow up everything in existence, the chaos on the other side an infinite, seething sea of nothingness. Yumichika had a terrifying vision of the void bursting forth from the hole, engulfing Seireitei and the rest of Soul Society in endless, maddening darkness.

"It _is_ arrancar," Ikkaku growled, confirming Yumichika's earlier suspicions. "_Damn_ it! I never thought they'd attack us this soon!"

"There can't be very many," Yumichika said, having shaken herself free of her horrified imaginings.

"What makes you say that?" Ikkaku asked, looking at her. His hand was gripping his zanpakutou just below the hilt, ready to draw it at an instant's notice.

"There's no one coming from that hole in the sky," Yumichika answered, looking up at the aberration. "So unless they're just sitting on the other side, waiting for who knows what to happen, then whoever or whatever was going to come through into Soul Society already has. It's likely a small group, since they've apparently all reached the ground in the short time since the alarm starting sounding."

"You may be right," Ikkaku said with a slight nod. "But that could mean they're just scouts preceding a much larger group of enemies. Who knows when something's gonna come roaring through that hole? Hell, who knows how many hollows Aizen has under his command, period?"

"True," Yumichika conceded. She was about to say more when something caught her attention further down the street.

Two shinigami were stumbling toward them, the female largely supporting the male, who was bleeding heavily from a gash that crossed his torso from left shoulder to right hip. The man's face was ashen gray, and he looked on the verge of losing consciousness.

"Hey!" Yumichika called out, running forward to meet them. "Hey, you two! What's going on?"

"Hollows," the female shinigami gasped, breathing heavily from running and from the weight of her badly injured companion. "Arrancar, actually. They came down almost on top of us. This fool tried to attack them, and look where it got him."

"Where are they?" Ikkaku demanded, catching up with Yumichika. "How many are there?"

"There's four," she replied, "and they're by the border with the Twelfth Division's territory, last I saw them. Now, I _really_ need to get him to the Fourth Division."

"Go," Yumichika nodded, stepping out of her way. "Hurry."

"Four," Ikkaku repeated as the woman continued on as quickly as she could.

"So, what should we do?" Yumichika asked, looking at Ikkaku. "We don't know how strong they are yet. Remember Edorad? He gave even _you_ a hard time. It might be four arrancar just like him."

"Hmm…" Ikkaku didn't immediately answer. He looked thoughtful, though there was a distinct gleam in his dark eyes.

"_Don't_, Ikkaku," Yumichika said tersely, scowling. "I see that look in your eye, but I also saw just how badly you got your ass kicked in Karakura-chou before you went bankai. Maybe this time take a look at what you're up against first, instead of jumping in with both feet in the air like an idiot."

"What the hell, Yumichika?" Ikkaku all but snarled, looking seriously affronted. There was genuine anger in his expression, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Are you calling me weak?"

"Don't be stupid!" Yumichika snapped back, not flinching as she stared into his hard black gaze. "As if I would ever call you _weak_! Have a little _faith_ in me!" She took a deep breath through her nose, willing herself to calm down. "Just…be smart about things, okay? You're not the only one who loses if you die, you know."

Ikkaku felt his anger draining away. As much as it bothered him to have other people worry about him, Yumichika's concern cut straight to the bone. Her worry wasn't born from doubts about his strength, but from the fear of being left alone, of facing the world without him ever standing at her side again. He was acutely aware of the pain it would cause Yumichika if he died, as he would suffer the same agony if she were the one to be killed. Despite this, he threw himself into his battles with abandon, knowing that some day he would meet someone stronger than him, someone who wouldn't spare his life afterward like Zaraki had back in Rukongai. Yumichika normally kept her fears inside, respecting the fact that Ikkaku lived for the fight, but sometimes they bubbled to the surface, like now. When they did, Ikkaku felt her anxiety like a knife to the gut.

"Yumi," he said softly, brushing an errant strand of hair back from her face, "I have no intention of dying today."

"Nobody _plans_ on dying, but they do," Yumichika muttered, casting her gaze to the side.

Ikkaku sighed, slightly perturbed. "_You_ have a little faith in _me_," he echoed, taking hold of her chin and making her look at him. "I know you can't help worrying. I worry about you, too, but we have a job to do. Seireitei itself may be in danger. We can't hold back at a time like this."

"I know," Yumichika murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "I just get so scared sometimes."

"Yeah, I know," Ikkaku nodded. "I do, too. Sometimes it hits me out of nowhere what it would be like if you suddenly weren't there anymore. It's an _awful_ feeling." He smoothed her hair back from her face again. "Now come on, where's that fiery little Amazon I usually see when I look at you? I'm starting to miss her."

A faint smile curved Yumichika's pale pink lips. "She never left," she said quietly, pushing her zanpakutou an inch out of its sheath with her thumb, indicating her readiness for battle. The life returned to her exotically-colored eyes, the warrioress Ikkaku was most familiar with reappearing with all her intensity.

"Good," Ikkaku grinned. "Now let's split up. It'll double our chances of finding the intruders if we go different ways. If there's four of them, they're likely not gonna stay together, anyway."

"Right," Yumichika agreed. "I'll stay on the ground; you look for them from the rooftops."

"Sounds good," Ikkaku said, shouldering his sword. He turned and launched himself into the air, hopping between buildings a few times before reaching the eaves high above the street.

"Good luck, and _be_ _careful_!" Yumichika hollered after him, cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice.

"Yeah, you too!" Ikkaku called back. Then he disappeared, taking his search for their enemies across the tiled peaks of the Eleventh Division's many buildings.

Yumichika stared after him for a moment, then turned and continued on toward the Twelfth Division border. She knew it wouldn't be long before the members of her division and others began flooding the area, but her warrior's instincts urged her forward, searching for the enemy on her own. There was also a fair amount of thrill-seeker in her—though not as much as in Ikkaku—and she wouldn't hesitate to admit it if asked.

As she drew closer to the line separating the Eleventh and Twelfth Divisions, she picked up on a strange reiatsu. It was huge, and it was altogether foreign. It felt like the cold, malevolent reiatsu of a hollow, but with something mixed in that was alarmingly shinigami-like.

_That has to be an arrancar_, she thought. It felt similar to the enemies they encountered when the espada named Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and his fracciónes invaded Karakura-chou, when Ikkaku found himself in his most intense battle in a long time against the one called Edorad Leones.

She suddenly stopped. The reiatsu was coming closer, and not only because she was running toward it. The intruder must have sensed her and was moving to engage.

For a moment, she weighed her options. This arrancar was powerful, the strongest arrancar she'd encountered yet. Should she meet it head on, or retreat to wait for backup? She was one of the most accomplished warriors in Soul Society, but she wasn't sure if she should face this enemy by herself. While discretion was absolutely _not_ one of Ikkaku's virtues, Yumichika's pragmatism and practicality were what had kept her alive in Rukongai as a child, and they continued to serve her well into adulthood and her career as a shinigami.

Her decision was suddenly made for her, a long shadow falling upon her from the rear.

The enemy was _right behind her_.

Instinct took over, and she lunged forward, simultaneously twisting around to face her opponent. Her right had flew to her sword, unsheathing Ruriiro Kujaku in one smooth motion, the blade ringing as it was pulled free of its wooden casing.

She regained her footing nearly ten feet away, Ruriiro Kujaku held in front of her in a defensive stance. To her surprise, however, the arrancar hadn't moved, standing exactly where he had appeared, watching her with a manic grin on his face.

Her eyes widened slightly as she took in his appearance. He was nearly seven feet tall, if she guessed correctly, dressed all in white like all the arrancar she had seen thus far. He was almost unnaturally thin, his body shape in direct contrast with the enormous weapon he held against his back, a huge blade shaped like two crescent moons joined back-to-back, mounted on a thin handle. A white eyepatch covered most of the left side of his face, smooth black hair falling over his face and past his shoulders. His most unnerving feature, however, was the wide, toothy grin he was giving her. It was predatory, gleefully sadistic, and she shivered, feeling cold inside.

"Well, ain't _I_ a lucky one!" the arrancar exclaimed, his grin stretching even wider. "You're _just_ who I'm looking for! Didn't think you'd fall right into my lap, but here you are!"

Yumichika took a step back, her teeth gritting at the sound of his voice. It was arrogant, mocking, the kind of voice that got under her skin and made her feel inexplicably _angry_. Even if he hadn't been an arrancar, Yumichika couldn't see herself getting along with him, or even acting civilly toward him. Ikkaku had chided her in the past about this, as she herself wasn't exactly meek or modest, and often got on other people's nerves with her narcissistic behavior. The difference was, however, that as self-centered as Yumichika acted, and as caustically as she taunted her opponents, she was no sadist, and would never truly hurt someone just for the fun of it. This man who stood before her had _predator_ written all over him, and she could easily see him taking amusement in the pain of others. That was enough to set her teeth on edge, and she gripped her sword tighter, her eyes narrowing.

"I am the Quinta Espada, Nnoitra Gilga," the man said, introducing himself, "and _you_ are Ayasegawa Yumichika, fifth seat of the Eleventh Division."

Yumichika's eyes widened, surprised. "How do you know that?" she demanded. She was sure she'd never met this arrancar before in her life. You would think she'd remember if she had.

"Aizen-sama told me," was the espada's simple reply. He started toward her, closing the distance between them, though still not making any move to attack. "Now c'mon, girl. You're coming with me."

Yumichika felt a weight drop into her stomach. This arrancar, this espada, didn't mean to fight her. He meant to kidnap her.

_Not if I have anything to say about it_, she thought vehemently. "Sake, Fuji Kujaku!" she shouted out loud, releasing her zanpakutou into its melee form, the blade reversing its curve and separating into four identical falx blades. "I'm not going anywhere," she said, a firm sense of finality in her words.

Nnoitra stopped, then sighed, giving her an annoyed look. "Figured you wouldn't come easily," he said, venom in his voice. "I knew a bitch like you wouldn't do as she's told."

Yumichika hissed, her hackles rising. Before she could bite out a reply, however, the distance between her and Nnoitra was suddenly reduced to nothing. An iron grip clamped around her left forearm, the espada's fingers curling around her limb with unexpected strength.

Acting without thinking, Yumichika struck out with her zanpakutou, the quadruple blades slicing across his belly in an upward motion, continuing on to sever his arm near the shoulder. His hand loosened minutely, giving her the opportunity to twist out of his grasp and leap away. Surging past him, she drove her elbow into the back of his knee, forcing him to drop down to said knee as his tendons gave out.

"_Fuck!_" she heard him snarl, and she could just imagine his teeth bared like an angry animal's, fury in his single amber eye.

Whipping around to face him again, Yumichika watched him warily. He stood up, his back to her, a very slight wobble in his stance from the blow to his knee. When he turned to face her, Yumichika's eyes widened in shock.

There was no blood. He wasn't injured at all. The only evidence of her attack was the slashes in his white clothing over his stomach and arm, pale musculature visible underneath. She knew arrancar, and especially espada, were very resilient, but this was altogether unexpected. The only other person she'd ever known to deflect a blade completely with just his skin was Zaraki Kenpachi, her captain who, at the moment, was entirely absent.

"Oh, you _are_ a lucky one," Nnoitra growled as he stalked toward her again, murder in his gaze. "You are _so_ lucky Aizen-sama wants you alive and more or less undamaged. I'd cut your spine out through your chest if he didn't care how he got you." His grin returned in full force. "I'd even work some frustration out on that pretty body of yours. You are _deliciously_ fuckable, lovely shinigami."

Yumichika went cold, a shudder running through her. She was starting to get the impression that this arrancar saw females as objects, things to subjugate and use as outlets for sexual urges. Indignity flared up hotly. She was hating this espada more with every second.

Nnoitra lunged forward again, swinging his huge weapon, but not to cut. The flat of the blade came toward Yumichika with impossible speed, and she was unable to dodge quickly enough, the heavy blade striking her and flinging her backward. It didn't hit her as hard as it would have if she'd been standing still, her backwards momentum softening some of the impact. It was a solid hit, though, and she skidded backwards, barely keeping her balance, disoriented by the blow.

Before she could react, he was on her again, one hand gripping her hair tightly, the other curling into a fist and slamming into her stomach, knocking the breath from her completely.

She gave a choked rattle, all she could manage with no air in her lungs. She slumped forward against Nnoitra's arm, the fingers of her left hand twisting into the fabric of his sleeve, unconsciously seeking something to hold onto. Stars were exploding behind her eyes, and she tasted bile in her mouth. Her knees gave out, and all that kept her from falling was her hold on Nnoitra's arm. She tried desperately to suck in enough breath, her vision darkening as her empty lungs struggled to function.

The espada made a sound of disgust, shaking her from his arm and watching her fall bonelessly to the ground. If she wasn't unconscious, she was only just this side of it. Kneeling next to her, he pried her zanpakutou, which she had managed to hold onto, from her fingers. The sword had reverted back to its sealed form, once again a normal-looking katana. He used it to cut the orange knitted _thing_ from around her neck, sneering as he thought about how ridiculous it looked. Pulling it from her right arm as well, he tossed the garment away. Almost as an afterthought, he flicked the feathers from her face, clucking his tongue as he did so. Such prissy ornamentation really annoyed him. Then he reached into a pocket near his hip.

From it he produced a thin chain of silvery-gold material. It looked like nothing more than a plain choker-type necklace, but it had come from the lab of Szayelaporro Grantz. It was a reiatsu limiter, a device that suppressed and sealed away spiritual power, effectively crippling its wearer. Those restrained with it were no more of a threat than normal humans, Szayelaporro had claimed.

Nnoitra wound the flimsy-looking chain around Yumichika's neck, the ends fusing together with a small electric flash when he brought them close, turning the chain into one continuous loop. The metal went rigid, now a stiff ring around her neck, impossible to remove without cutting through it. It was likely to be stronger than steel, if Szayelaporro had any foresight to prevent attempts to remove the device illicitly. As meticulous as the scientist was, he most surely had.

Now he had the shinigami unconscious with her strength reduced to that of a lowly human. Despite this, he withdrew from the same pocket a set of wrist and ankle restraints. She may wake up at any moment, and even though she was severely weakened, Nnoitra didn't want to have to deal with her punching and kicking, which he had no doubt she would do if no other option was open to her. It was so much easier to just immobilize her and preclude any annoying struggling.

After shackling her wrists together and doing the same to her ankles, he relieved her of her zanpakutou's scabbard, sheathed her weapon, and put it into the crook of his arm, retrieving Santa Teresa from where he had left it.

Drawing himself up to his full height, he gathered power from within and released a cero straight up into the air. It was time to call Tesla and the other two back, hopefully with the secondary target in tow.

* * *

><p>Ikkaku leapt across the rooftops of the Eleventh Division, taking a roundabout route to the border with the Twelfth Division. He hadn't found any enemies yet, but judging from the strange reiatsu he felt bouncing around, they were close.<p>

He felt Yumichika's reiatsu flare, accompanied by the icy feeling of a very powerful enemy in the same vicinity. His lover was engaged in battle, and with an enemy whose massive power gave even Ikkaku pause. Nervousness bloomed in his gut, the thought that maybe he should turn around and go back flitting through his head. Just to make sure she was okay.

He hadn't any time to decide when a shape suddenly burst out in front of him. Acting reflexively, Ikkaku drew his sword and sliced his attacker in half. Blood sprayed, spattering Ikkaku with red liquid, the two pieces of the enemy disintegrating into dust before they even hit the rooftop at Ikkaku's feet.

Hollow. Judging from its humanoid shape, it was likely an arrancar.

There was someone behind him. Spinning around, Ikkaku was just barely able to block the sword of another enemy. This one was a young man with sandy-blond hair and a black eyepatch over his right eye. The sword that was now scraping along Ikkaku's had an odd-shaped blade, the metal forming a large ring just below the hilt.

"Madarame Ikkaku," the youth said, a smile on his lips, "I was hoping we'd run into you."

"How do you know my name?" Ikkaku growled, eyes narrowing. He easily matched the arrancar's strength, neither blade giving way to the other.

"I told you, I was looking for you," the youth replied. "Of course I'd know you're name."

"And _why_ are you looking for me?" Ikkaku snarled, suddenly shoving the arrancar away with a burst of strength. It was then that he noticed there was another arrancar nearby, apparently content to let the blond one take on the shinigami. As quickly as Ikkaku had dispatched the first one, it was no surprise that this one hesitated. The blond was apparently the leader, and therefore stronger than the other two.

"You'll know soon enough," the one with the eyepatch said, sidestepping the question. He brought his sword up in front of him. "Now, let me see that famous strength of yours, shinigami."

"You have a death-wish, I see," Ikkaku hissed, lunging forward to engage his opponent.

They fought for several minutes, the arrancar matching Ikkaku blow for blow, parrying every attack with apparent ease. Ikkaku was pleasantly surprised with the other's skill, though something didn't seem quite right with this fight. The arrancar was only blocking Ikkaku's attacks; he wasn't throwing out any of his own.

_It's like he's wasting time_, Ikkaku thought, a scowl settling over his face. _For what, though?_

That's when he felt it. Yumichika's reiatsu faltered, then suddenly disappeared. Ikkaku felt his heart stop cold, stumbling as if from a physical blow, his shock nearly making him fall to his knees.

"Yumi…!" he gasped, unable to comprehend the void where his lover had been just moments ago. "_Yumichika!_" Oh gods, she _couldn't_ be…?

No…no, she wasn't dead. He could still feel her presence, but just barely. She was severely weakened, perhaps near death, but she was still alive.

But for how long…?

A sudden bright flash, and a beam of white light was shooting straight up into the air. It was about half, maybe two-thirds of a mile away. It was coming from the same area where he knew Yumichika to be.

"Looks like Nnoitra-sama has made his catch," the blond arrancar said. "Let's go!" he shouted to the other arrancar, and the two of them took off in the direction of the beam of light.

_Made his catch?_ Ikkaku repeated mentally, confusion coming over him. _What the fuck is going on?_ "Wait!" he hollered, giving chase. "What have you done with Yumichika?"

The one-eyed arrancar looked back, and Ikkaku thought he saw a _smile_ flit across his lips. It was as if he _wanted_ Ikkaku to follow, and was confirming to himself that he was indeed doing so.

Ikkaku snarled wordlessly, speeding up and skewering the weaker arrancar through its back, continuing on through the explosion of dust the creature turned into upon its death. "_Stop_, damn you!" he roared at the leader's retreating back.

The beam of light had disappeared, but he knew they were getting close to its point of origin. After a moment, the blond arrancar leapt from the rooftops, letting gravity and his momentum take him down to the streets below.

That's when Ikkaku saw it. Another arrancar, incredibly tall and holding a huge weapon, standing over an achingly familiar form crumpled on the ground. Yumichika was lying there, and she was bound. He couldn't see her face, and she was horribly, unnaturally still.

Ikkaku gave a wordless scream of rage at the sight. There lay Yumichika, "caught." They were taking her. She was being kidnapped. Fury exploded behind his eyes as he quickly overtook the blond arrancar, passing him and going for the tall one standing over his lover. He couldn't lose Yumichika, not to these bastards. Gods damn it, he _couldn't_!

"_Nobiro, Hoozukimaru!_" he cried, slamming his sword and sheath together end-to-end, feeling them combine and grow into the long spear that was his shikai.

The tall arrancar moved. He knelt over Yumichika and brought one of the points of his massive weapon to rest against her throat. The gesture conveyed his intentions loud and clear.

Ikkaku skidded to a halt. He was trembling with adrenaline and emotion, gripping Hoozukimaru tightly with both hands. His face was twisted into a look of utter loathing, teeth bared threateningly.

"You coward!" he snarled at the arrancar. "Hiding behind a woman…! Fight me like a _man_, damn you!"

The arrancar merely grinned at him, long white teeth glistening in the light of the setting sun.

Yumichika suddenly made a tiny sound, bringing their attention to her. She stirred, eyelids fluttering as she struggled to wake up.

She clawed her way up out of the darkness, but then wished she hadn't. Something was terribly wrong. She was lying on her side on the hard ground, and her belly felt like one huge bruise, but that wasn't what worried her. Her reiatsu was stifled, contained against her will, and that realization alone made her want to panic. She tried to move, only to find that her hands and feet were bound. She opened her eyes, her vision blurred almost incomprehensibly, and she struggled, horror and dread overtaking her.

"Be still!" a nasty voice snapped somewhere above her, and she suddenly felt something cold and sharp against her neck. She stilled immediately, realizing she was only millimeters away from having her throat slit open. She heard Ikkaku curse viciously from somewhere nearby.

"K-Kaku…?" she rasped out, wishing fervently for her vision to clear. She wanted to see him.

"Be still, Yumi," she heard him say, echoing the arrancar's terse order. "Don't move."

Before she even had a chance to move, cruel fingers twisted into her hair and yanked her upright. Her stomach lurched from the sudden movement, debilitating dizziness overwhelming her.

"Is it _you_ I smell on her?" Nnoitra's poisonous voice asked, very close to her ear. He leaned forward, sliding their cheeks together. "Is it _you_ she's just been fucking with?" He grinned widely again at Ikkaku. "I don't blame you for riding this little jenny. Aizen-sama was right, she is _stunningly_ beautiful."

Ikkaku gave a low growl, murder in his eyes. "Get your _filthy_ hands off her, you—" He didn't get to finish.

"Tesla," Nnoitra interrupted, and before Ikkaku could say another word, pain exploded at the back of his head as the blond arrancar, momentarily forgotten, drove the pommel of his sword into the base of Ikkaku's skull with a sickening crack.

_Fuck_, Ikkaku thought, vision rapidly going black as he fell forward. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

"Ikkaku!" Yumichika cried. Her vision was gradually clearing, and she had seen him go down. The espada behind her shifted, and then tossed two sets of restraints and a small, thin chain to Tesla, who immediately crouched over Ikkaku to bind him like she was.

"N-no…!" she stammered, fear for her lover replacing her panic. "Please, leave Ikkaku! Take me if you must but please, leave him!" She squeezed her eyes shut, her voice going high with emotion. "I'm begging you…!"

"Oh, how sweet," Nnoitra sneered. "Sorry, gorgeous, but Aizen-sama wants you both. You most of all, but him, too."

Yumichika give a choked sob, hating how powerless she was, wanting nothing more than to relieve the arrancar crouching over her lover of his head, to rip that serpentine tongue right out of Nnoitra's mouth.

The world spun as Nnoitra hauled her up and slung her over his shoulder, her head hanging at the bottom of his shoulder blade. She tried to kick him, but her body wouldn't cooperate, merely twitching in the espada's tight grip. Nnoitra dug his nails into her side, warning her not to try that again, and she went limp, wanting to scream in her helplessness.

"Let's go," Nnoitra said to Tesla, handing her zanpakutou to his fracción, who had also taken custody of Ikkaku's sword. "The ants are swarming."

Indeed, other shinigami were coming closer. Shouts could be heard, getting louder with every second. The intruders had been located.

Yumichika's stomach dropped as they suddenly surged upwards, her sore belly pressing down against Nnoitra's bony shoulder. Vaguely, she realized that they were ascending to the hole in the sky, rapidly approaching the portal that led to the hollow domain.

As they passed through, coldness deeper than she had ever known assaulted her body and soul, madness worming itself into her mind as she was engulfed in the void. She twisted feebly, trying to scream, but all that came out was a tortured wail.

Her senses soon collapsed in upon themselves, and she knew no more.

**To be continued…**

**Author's Notes:** Hoo boy, this got a lot longer than I expected. I actually moved a scene that I meant for the end of this chapter to the beginning of chapter three. I guess I shouldn't complain, though. At least my chapters aren't turning out _shorter_ than I intended.

I hope I kept everyone in character here. Nnoitra is the one I'm most worried about. If he's not suitably snarky, I apologize.

I also apologize for the long wait since chapter one. But, if you've been following my _Yami_ _no Matsuei_ fanfic, "Slow Mend," you're very familiar with the fact that I suck at updating my stories with any expediency. As with "Slow Mend," I hope this doesn't lose me any readers.

Please review. This is my first _Bleach_ fiction that is more than a romantic little IkkaYumi oneshot, and I hope I'm doing well with it. I would love it if you guys gave me some feedback. Feedback is my drug of choice. (No flames, though, as always. They fail at their intended purpose of making me feel inferior, so don't waste your time.)


	3. Imprisoned

**Author's Notes:** See chapter one for disclaimer.

Many thanks to HikariFighter, lelann37, and Psycho-Neurotically Disturbed for reading and reviewing chapter two! Yes, I know I got chapter three written much faster than chapter two. That's nothing to complain about, but I should warn you guys not to expect this all the time. Don't get your hopes up, at least.

Oh, and just a quick acknowledgement of an error in chapter two. I described Nnoitra's eye color as amber, when it's supposed to be dark grey (or black). I know Szayelaporro has amber eyes, and I thought I remembered Nnoitra with them, too, for some reason. Durr.

**The Price of Freedom  
><strong>By Annie-chan  
><strong>Chapter Three: Imprisoned<strong>

Zaraki Kenpachi sped through the streets of the Twelfth Division, both excited and furious. Excited, because the alarm announcing enemy invaders was going off, and he was itching for a good fight. This enemy had yet to show their true strength, and Zaraki would gladly give them an opportunity to prove themselves.

He was furious because he had been on the other side of Seireitei from where the hole in the sky had opened up. That damned Unohana woman had asked him to meet her in her office at the Fourth Division, then proceeded to lecture him about how reckless his men tended to be, and that they'd better start being more careful with the war looming on the horizon, or his entire division would likely land in her care for want of discretion in battle.

"Faster, Ken-chan!" his vice-captain screeched into his ear. Kusajishi Yachiru, as usual, was clinging to his left shoulder. He didn't need her to sense where the battle-reiatsu was coming from this time, despite his total inability to do so. That big gaping maw in the sky was quite enough to guide him.

If only he had just gone home after dismissing his men, like he had _planned_ on doing. Then he would have been much closer to the action when everything started. Stupid pansy Fourth Division.

He believed he remembered his third and fifth seats staying behind at division headquarters. No doubt to screw around with each other. Madarame and Ayasegawa made no secret of how close they were, physically or emotionally, and Zaraki had once stumbled upon them, naked as two jaybirds, fucking on the document room floor. Madarame had been sitting against a bookcase, Ayasegawa gyrating in his lap with a look of complete bliss on her face. He later found out that the two of them had no compunctions about getting intimate in places well outside their own home. The two lovers failed to notice that they had company, and Zaraki quickly left. He was no prude, but he wasn't a voyeur, either. Thank the gods Yachiru hadn't been with him at the moment. She was still a little too young for The Talk.

The next day, after the majority of the division had left for the evening, he told them (quite out of the blue) that he didn't care about any kinks they may have with each other, but if they ever did anything "fun" in his office, he'd kick both their asses. Madarame had been struck dumb by the random comment; Ayasegawa, though, had started giggling behind her hands. _Giggling!_ Zaraki had left them after that. He really didn't want to know what was going on inside that crazy woman's head. If Madarame got turned on by her bizarre behavior, then more power to him. Zaraki was more concerned with her value to the division than her personality quirks, and as she was one hell of an asset to the division—she put all the men to shame on the battlefield, except Madarame and himself—he couldn't care less about what she did in her free time, or who she did it with.

A sudden bright flash of light snapped him back to the present. A beam of white light was shooting up into the air. It was coming from just over the border between the Eleventh and Twelfth Divisions, if he estimated correctly.

The sight almost made him stop. What the hell was _that_? Yachiru's frantic squeaking urged him on, however, and he sped toward the border with all possible haste.

He faintly heard a scream coming from the same direction, recognizing the voice as Madarame's. It wasn't a scream of pain, but one of rage.

He ran on. The hole in the sky was almost directly overhead now, and he could see the churning nothingness on the other side.

A moment later, just as he was getting to the borderline between the divisions, something else shot up into the air. A couple of somethings, actually. Two people were rocketing up toward the hole. The smaller one seemed to be dragging something large behind him (or her), but at that speed it was hard to tell. They were practically two balls of energy at that velocity, and details weren't exactly standing out.

The two people, or whatever they were, reached the hole. As soon as they passed through, the jagged edges of the dimensional break slammed together with a deafening boom, tendrils of darkness trapped on this side dissipating into thin air a few seconds later. A warped and cracked area remained after the hole had sealed itself shut, but it smoothed out after a moment. Now there was no trace at all that any abnormality had ever existed in that place.

Zaraki skidded to a halt, watching the hole disappear. Then he cursed viciously. Gods damn it, he had missed all the fun!

"Ken-chan," Yachiru said, her eyes also fixed on the now unbroken portion of sky, "if it's an invasion, why'd they leave so soon after coming?"

"I don't know," Zaraki answered honestly, shaking his head. The bells in his hair tinkled faintly.

Shouts could be heard, coming from the same direction the enemies had been in. It looked like his men, and maybe some from other divisions as well, had finally come. Late, like him. He couldn't exactly berate them for it when he himself hadn't been any faster. He did want to break some jaws, though. Missing out on a fight tended to put Zaraki in a bad mood.

He started running again. He was the Eleventh Division captain, and should be there to direct his men. Even though there didn't seem to be any fighting left, they still needed to find out what the hell the enemies were doing in Seireitei. The fact that they retreated so quickly after arriving only added to the list of unknowns. It was as if they were here for a smash-and-grab, though what they'd want on the border between the Eleventh and Twelfth Divisions was anyone's guess.

"Taichou!" several of his men shouted as he arrived, snapping to attention. Zaraki waved them off, not interested in formalities.

"Where are Madarame and Ayasegawa?" he demanded. Not only were they his top officers, and therefore were the first he sought out in situations like these, but he knew Madarame was here. He had heard him scream. Maybe he had seen something pertaining to the enemies' objective. Wherever Madarame went, Ayasegawa followed, so it was safe to assume she was here, as well.

"Taichou," he heard his fourth seat call to him, "you need to see this."

Zaraki stalked toward a knot of shinigami. They were standing in a rough circle, looking at something in the center. The shinigami quickly parted as he approached, revealing the objects that had captured their attention.

The odd orange garment Ayasegawa always wore was lying on the street tiles, the neck part sliced cleanly open. Four brightly-colored feathers, recognizable to everyone as the ones she adorned her face with, were scattered nearby. There was no blood, which only added to the eeriness of the sight.

"Ken-chan," Yachiru said quietly after a moment of silence. She sounded worried, maybe even scared.

"Hayashi was the first to round the last corner," the fourth seat explained, referring to one of the unseated officers. "He saw them just as they took off. The smaller one was dragging someone by the collar behind him, and the bigger one appeared to have another person slung over his shoulder." The fourth seat paused. "He says they were too far away to tell for sure, but it looked like—" he took a breath, as if afraid of saying the names, "—Madarame-sanseki and Ayasegawa-goseki."

The sun sank completely below the horizon then, dousing the world in evening twilight.

Zaraki didn't respond for a long moment, staring at one of the feathers on the ground. When he finally spoke, his voice was low. "That's why they came," he said, his single visible eye gleaming with anger. "This wasn't an invasion, it was a kidnapping."

"But what would they want with Pachinko Head and Neechan?" Yachiru exclaimed, looking distressed.

"I don't know," Zaraki said, "but I intend to find out." He turned on his heel and strode off in the direction of the division's main buildings. "Back to headquarters!" he barked at his men, who all fell into step behind him, following his lead.

Yachiru hopped down from Ken-chan's shoulder and gathered up the discarded garment and feathers, then ran back to her captain. Neechan would be _so_ upset if she found out they had just left her things lying out in the street.

* * *

><p>The sharp, acrid smell of ammonia assaulted her nostrils. Yumichika inhaled reflexively, unintentionally bringing more of the irritating scent into her nose. The sudden olfactory overload brought her abruptly back to consciousness, her eyes flying open.<p>

A man she had never seen before was looming over her. He had white-rimmed rectangular glasses on, but there didn't appear to be any lenses in the frames. Aside from that very odd observation, he had bubblegum-pink hair paired with eyes of an orangey-amber color. He was holding a small vial of some kind of white crystalline substance near her face, which was where the ammonia smell was coming from.

Yumichika froze when she saw the man. Her eyes went wide with shock, alarm bells going off in her head. It was never good to wake up to someone you didn't know bending over you, but on top of that, she found her wrists were shackled together behind her back, her ankles held together with a similar restraint. Her reiatsu was suppressed, and she had no idea where her sword was. She was in a very bad situation, indeed.

Realization of just what her situation was came to her in a rush. Enemies had invaded Seireitei, and after a brief, unsuccessful battle with one of them, she had been knocked out with a blow to her midsection. She had woken up to find Ikkaku also taken prisoner, and had lost consciousness again soon afterward when they were taken through the hole that had opened up in the sky above the city. She shivered to remember the chaos that had engulfed her and robbed her of her senses. She never wanted to feel that again.

"She's awake," the man leaning over her said, turning to speak over his shoulder.

"Good," a voice said a short distance away. "Let her up." Something twisted in her guts when she heard the voice. She knew who that was…

The pink-haired man produced a small key from somewhere—she was too distracted to notice where—and leaned further over her. A metal click reached her ears, and one of her hands was suddenly free. Another click, and the handcuffs were removed from her wrists entirely. The man moved to her feet to release her ankles as well.

Yumichika rolled to her front and slowly pushed herself up to her hands and knees. She was sore, her joints and muscles protesting her every movement. She vaguely wondered how long she had been lying motionless on the floor for her body to be so stiff like this. A different kind of pain radiated from her solar plexus, where she remembered being hit. There was likely a nasty bruise there now, and the grinning face of her attacker flashed across her mind's eye.

She was suddenly gripped under the arms and hauled upward to her feet. It was the pink-haired man, who apparently interpreted "let her up" as "stand her up." Dizziness assaulted her, and she stumbled, leaning against him. It was either that or fall back down.

"Welcome to Las Noches," the voice said again, "Ayasegawa Yumichika, fifth seat of the Eleventh Division."

Yumichika raised her eyes, her dizziness gradually dissipating. She realized that she was in a large room, and she found herself facing a tall, sheer-sided dais made of white stone, flanked by a number of round black columns. On top of the platform perched a square-cut throne, and in that throne sat a man, imposing even from this distance.

"A-Aizen Sousuke," she managed, apprehension clamping around her insides, her heart starting to beat faster. Realizing the frail image she must be presenting, she twisted out of the pink-haired man's grasp, shoving him away. "Get your hands off me!" If she was going to be scrutinized by the enemy of all shinigami, she was going to do it on her own two feet.

The man looked surprised, then angry. A look of sheer contempt settled over his face, and if looks could kill, Yumichika would have dropped dead on the spot.

"Be polite to Szayelaporro," Aizen admonished, though there was an amused smile on his face. "He went to all the trouble of making that lovely necklace for you, after all."

Yumichika's hands went to her throat. The orange knitted garment she usually wore was gone, and in its place was a thin metal chain wrapped snugly around the base of her neck. Her perplexity must have shown on her face, as Aizen chuckled.

"Your reiatsu is contained for as long as you wear that," he explained. "It makes you no more of a threat to me or my subordinates than the average living human would be. It's quite a convenient little device."

So that's how her reiatsu was being suppressed. The realization offered her no comfort, however. She was completely at their mercy, with only her two fists to defend herself against whatever they had planned for her. If they even allowed her that, which she doubted they would.

"Szayelaporro was kind enough to make a matching necklace for your devoted companion," Aizen continued. "He'd be more trouble to keep than he's worth without one."

_Ikkaku!_ Yumichika suddenly remembered that Ikkaku had been brought here as well. Her preoccupation with Aizen and the reiatsu limiter had momentarily pushed her lover completely out of her mind. Now she felt a desperate need to see him. "Where is he?" she demanded, using the most authoritative voice she could muster. Normally this was no problem for her, as she was quite the queen bee in Seireitei, but being in the lair of an insanely powerful ex-shinigami who had sworn to bring the Apocalypse to Soul Society tended to put a chink in one's confidence.

Belatedly, she realized that she was surrounded by people, all eyes fixated on her. These were Aizen's arrancar, she surmised. Espada and fracciónes, and perhaps lesser arrancar as well. She spotted Nnoitra Gilga off to her right, the sandy-blond youth who had knocked Ikkaku out standing at his side. Tesla, she thought his name was. When her eyes met Nnoitra's, the tall espada gave her a leering grin. She quickly looked away.

Aizen seemed amused by Yumichika's demand. "He's right behind you, you silly girl," he said.

Yumichika spun around. There, indeed, was Ikkaku, only about fifteen feet away from her. She had been unable to sense him thanks to the seal on his reiatsu, and perhaps also to the seal on hers. His familiar, comforting presence was beyond her reach, despite their close proximity. This realization made her go cold. To be so close to him and yet not be able to sense him was horrifying.

Ikkaku gave her a wan smile. "Hey, Yumi," he said quietly. He was kneeling, his hands still cuffed behind his back. He was flanked by two arrancar, their swords held to either side of his neck, the points crossing an inch or two in front of his throat. The one on his right was a female with brown skin and blonde hair. She seemed to be missing half her clothing, though the lower half of her face was covered by her high collar. The arrancar on Ikkaku's left was a male with bone-white skin and jet-black hair. Thin marks like tear tracks ran down his face from strikingly green eyes, giving his blank expression an almost sad appearance. True to Aizen's word, a thin chain was around Ikkaku's neck, the same kind of reiatsu limiter Yumichika herself wore.

Though he seemed subdued, Yumichika could see in his eyes a boiling fury. He was enraged, longing to spill their captors' blood, but the handcuffs, the swords at his neck, and his worry for Yumichika's safety kept him from going berserk. They were both weakened by the reiatsu limiters, and were also grievously outnumbered. To resist now would be suicide for him, and might put Yumichika in danger as well. Having his throat slit while tied up was hardly an honorable death, and if Yumichika was harmed or killed because of his stupidity, he'd never forgive himself.

"Ikkaku," Yumichika said, her voice barely audible. She wanted to go to him, but she didn't dare to. Any sudden moves on her part could spell death for either one of them, and though she was at the moment neither restrained nor guarded, she knew she didn't stand a chance if the arrancar descended upon her. She was powerless and unarmed, a single crippled shinigami among dozens of powerful enemies.

"I smelled sex on her as soon as I found her," Nnoitra's snide voice suddenly rang out. "Little cunt just can't keep her legs shut when her man's around."

Yumichika turned bright red as a titter of laughter moved through the arrancar. She had never been embarrassed by her sexuality, and couldn't care less if people knew how frequently she and Ikkaku were intimate, but to have it spoken of in such a crude way, as if their passion for each other was nothing but a joke, was indescribably offensive. In any other circumstances, she would have slammed her knee into Nnoitra's testicles for making such a degrading comment.

Instead, she ignored Nnoitra and turned back to Aizen, who sat with one elbow propped upon an arm of his throne, resting his cheek against his loose fist. He'd look bored if it weren't for the condescending smile on his face.

"What do you want with us?" she asked quietly. "Why have you brought us here?" She had kept her eyes on the floor, but now raised them, staring directly into Aizen's face, waiting for an answer.

"Ah, we get to the heart of the matter," Aizen said, shifting to sit up straighter. His fingers were threaded together loosely in front of him, his elbows on the throne's armrests. "It's simply, really. You have a power that I want, and despite any ideas you may have of refusing me, I _will_ get my hands on it sooner or later."

Yumichika felt her insides twist in apprehension. He _couldn't_ mean…? "I don't have any idea what you're talking about," she said out loud, her voice steady. "I have no special powers that someone like _you_ might want."

Aizen's smile widened, and he looked positively predatory. "Oh, I think you _do_ know what I'm talking about, Lady Fifth Seat." His voice was low, dangerous.

It felt like Nnoitra had just punched her in the gut again. He knew. He _knew_. About Ruriiro Kujaku. But how? How could someone like _him_ know her most closely guarded secret? When she had fought with Hisagi Shuuhei on Seireitei's rooftops, had someone been watching them from afar? She had been so sure they were alone. Could she have been wrong?

It took every ounce of her control to keep her dismay from showing outwardly. "You must have me mistaken for someone else," she said dismissively, crossing her arms under her breasts. _Please don't say it in front of Ikkaku_, she chanted in her head. _Please don't say it, please don't, please don't, please don't…_

Aizen closed his eyes and shrugged. "Have it your way." That smile never left his face.

"Why is Ikkaku here?" Yumichika asked quickly, hoping to forestall any revelation of her sword's true nature. "If I'm the one you want, why bring him here as well?"

"To ensure your good behavior," Aizen answered without hesitation. "You are far too willful for my liking, my dear. I figured your lover's wellbeing would be a good incentive for you to cooperate."

Yumichika's jaw dropped. Ikkaku didn't figure into Aizen's plans in any way. He was just a hostage, a living motivation for Yumichika to submit to Aizen's demands. If she acted out, they would take it out on him. The unfairness of it all made her blood boil, and she seethed, a look of hatred settling over her face.

"You seem pleased with this arrangement," Aizen said, standing. He stepped off the dais, dropping to the ground in a rapid but controlled descent. As soon as his feet touched the floor, he began approaching Yumichika.

The fifth seat took a step back, her body itching to either flee or strike out, but she managed to hold her ground, staring defiantly at him as he came closer.

He reached out one hand as he came to her, gently laying it against her cheek, touching her as a lover would. "I had so few opportunities to see you up close before I left," he said softly, his eyes roaming over the delicate lines of her face, taking in her every feature. "Such a shame. You are the most beautiful creature I've ever seen."

Normally, she would soak up such compliments like a sponge, her narcissistic side basking in the admiration. Now, however, she shivered in revulsion, feeling as if she had been stripped naked by his predatory gaze. She felt slightly nauseated, and before she could stop herself, she knocked his hand away from her, stepping back out of his reach.

"Don't touch me," she said lowly, her eyes narrowing. An angry murmur moved through the arrancar at her striking out at their lord, but no one came forward, recognizing that Aizen himself would punish her if he saw fit to do so.

Aizen's smile faltered when she knocked his hand away, but soon returned. "So feisty," he said, his hand dropping back to his side. "You and your belligerent lover do make a good match, don't you?" He raised his eyes from hers and looked past her shoulder. "Ulquiorra."

The male arrancar on Ikkaku's left removed his blade from the kneeling man's neck and stepped forward, sheathing his weapon. "Yes, Aizen-sama?"

"You and Halibel, please escort our guests to Szayelaporro's laboratory for chipping, and then take them to their room," Aizen instructed.

"Wait, what, _chipping_?" Yumichika repeated, frowning in confusion. "What the hell does _that_ mean?"

Aizen merely smiled at her, then turned and walked away.

Yumichika was about to yell after him, angry that he had turned his back on her, when a hand came down on her shoulder. She startled, turning to meet the deadpan gaze of the arrancar called Ulquiorra.

"Come," he said, turning her and propelling her toward a large door on the opposite end of the throne room. The female arrancar, Halibel, had ordered Ikkaku to stand, and the pink-haired arrancar known as Szayelaporro was already walking toward the door ahead of them, leading the way. The word "laboratory" did not sit well with Yumichika.

"It's okay, Yumi," she heard Ikkaku say as they were herded from the room and into a long white hallway. Or at least she thought she heard him say it. The arrancar's tight grip on her shoulder and the fear and apprehension clamoring in her brain made her second-guess what her ears were telling her. Maybe she had imagined it in her distress.

She didn't answer, her eyes fixated on Szayelaporro's back. This was the worst situation they had ever found themselves in, and something deep inside of her was chanting that neither one of them would make it out of here alive.

**To be continued…**

**Author's Notes:** So, now we know why Aizen wanted Yumichika and Ikkaku taken prisoner. More characters are appearing, and I hope I'm keeping them all in character. That tends to be my biggest concern when writing fanfiction. I'd love it if you guys gave me some feedback on it.

The stuff Szayelaporro used to wake Yumichika was smelling salts. I only recently discovered that smelling salts are ammonium carbonate. That's a very _pleasant_ smell. Bleh. No wonder people wake up when it's right under their nose.

I'm having Yachiru call Yumichika "Neechan" because I think it's cute. They're the only two females in the Eleventh Division, and because of that I think Yachiru would look up to Yumichika as a big sister. I can just imagine them braiding each other's hair and putting makeup on each other. Hell, I can imagine it with Yumichika as a guy. Heehee.

Anyway, please review, and I'll see you all next time. Hopefully it won't be too long. Keep your fingers crossed.


	4. Needles

**Author's Notes:** See chapter one for disclaimer.

Many thanks to lelann37 and HikariFighter for reading and reviewing chapter three! It seems this story is getting less feedback with each chapter, though. That…makes me sad.

**The Price of Freedom  
><strong>By Annie-chan  
><strong>Chapter Four: Needles<strong>

Yumichika sat in a cold, hard metal chair, her arms crossed protectively in front of her. Her knees were pressed together, her feet likewise as close to each other as possible. She was shaking, though you wouldn't notice it unless you touched her.

She was wracked with anxiety, and had adopted the defensive position without thinking. She was in a large room full of odd and terrifying-looking instruments, some free-standing and others attached to metal slabs that could only be described as exam tables. The instruments were twisted amalgams of surgical equipment, data sensors, and other, unrecognizable devices that she would happily stay ignorant of what they were meant for. She could only imagine, though she preferred not to, what some poor soul strapped onto one of those tables would be put through.

On the far side of the room were several large, transparent capsules set against the wall. Inside were vague shapes floating in a liquid of indescribable color. Yumichika didn't care to look any closer.

Nearer to her was a set of shelves sunk into the wall, dozens of glass containers lined up on said shelves. Some contained liquids of every color you could imagine, while others held anywhere from one to a few dozen objects of varying sizes. Again, Yumichika didn't care to look too closely. If the owner of this laboratory was anything like Kurotsuchi Mayuri, then Yumichika was quite certain she wanted nothing to do with whatever went on in this glorified torture chamber.

Next to her, in another metal chair, sat Ikkaku. His hands were still cuffed behind him. Despite the reiatsu limiter around his neck, it appeared their captors didn't trust Ikkaku to behave. Not that Yumichika blamed them. He was, after all, the less predictable and more violent of the two of them.

Ikkaku had kept his gaze fixed on Yumichika. He was watching her out of the corner of his eye, leaning forward with his head bent. His expression was neutral, though his eyes were unmistakably apprehensive. He was worried not for his own safety, but for Yumichika's. She was the one Aizen wanted most, and he was powerless to stop whatever the traitor had in mind for her. Ikkaku was not used to feeling helpless, and he hated it with everything he had.

Yumichika was busy watching the pink-haired arrancar as he busied himself with getting ready whatever it was they were brought to his lab for. She had just found out that his name was Szayelaporro Grantz, and he was the Octava Espada. The glasses that he wore were actually the remnants of his hollow mask, which explained the absence of lenses. He was apparently the "mad scientist" of Aizen's flock, as attested to by the large lab she was currently in the middle of. She didn't want to know just how far his madness went, though she could take a pretty good guess if she cared to think about it.

The two arrancar who had escorted Yumichika and Ikkaku were standing on either side of the door a short distance away. Neither seemed particularly interested in what Szayelaporro was doing, nor did they seem disturbed by the lab's many sadistic devices. For a brief moment, their detached expressions reminded Yumichika of Kurotsuchi Nemu as she dispassionately observed her captain's ghastly experiments.

The female was Tier Halibel, the Tercera Espada, and the male was Ulquiorra Schiffer, the Cuarta Espada. It seemed Aizen didn't trust lesser arrancar to guard his two captives, instead assigning his elite, the espada, to do it. Yumichika and Ikkaku weren't your typical shinigami, after all, but the third and fifth seats of the fiercest division in Seireitei. It was no wonder Aizen was being cautious.

Finally, Szayelaporro turned back to the shinigami. In his hand he held a sizeable syringe, a very large needle gleaming in the bright light of the lab. It was between three and four inches long, and was much thicker than a standard hypodermic needle. The beveled point looked positively vicious.

Yumichika's eyes widened. "What's _that_ for?" she demanded, unable to keep the apprehension out of her voice.

"It's how I'm going to get the microchip under your skin so we can track your position," Szayelaporro replied. "Or would you rather I used a scalpel instead and have to stitch you up afterward?"

So, that's what Aizen had meant by _chipping_. Tiny tracking devices were going to be inserted underneath their skin. Aizen was taking no chances with them. If they tried to escape, the microchips would lead their captors right to them, making it pointless to even attempt it.

Their situation had just edged a little bit closer to completely hopeless. Yumichika suddenly wanted to break something.

Szayelaporro was bending over her now. "Don't worry, it won't hurt. Much." He grabbed her left hand and pulled it toward him, stretching her arm out. Yumichika resisted, but his grip was solid. He set the rather imposing needle against her skin about an inch below the back of her wrist, then pushed it forward, piercing her skin and sliding the needle into her arm.

Yumichika grit her teeth, the skin around her eyes tightening. It hurt. As the needle was designed to easily pass through skin, it wasn't as painful as a knife or a sword would have been, but it was enough to make her wince. The sheer size of the needle ensured that it would hurt.

Szayelaporro pushed on the plunger, and there was a loud click. The microchip was sure to be tiny, but Yumichika felt it go in. There was a sharp jab of pain where the end of the needle must have been, her tissues and nerves protesting the insertion of something altogether foreign, despite its small size.

The needle was pulled out, a small trickle of blood managing to escape before Szayelaporro pressed down on the injection site with his thumb. Yumichika had a feeling that the espada didn't normally bother with stemming blood flow, and she wondered what had caused him to show her such kindness. Probably Aizen's instructions.

A moment later, Szayelaporro disposed of the syringe in a sharps container, then produced an identical one from a pocket low on his hip. It was Ikkaku's turn.

"Behave yourself," the espada warned the third seat, leaning around him to release his left arm from the handcuffs. He secured the empty cuff to one of the ribs of the chair, keeping Ikkaku's right arm restrained behind him. He pulled Ikkaku's left arm out in front of him like he had done to Yumichika's and removed the syringe's cap with his teeth, baring the needle and bringing it to the shinigami's skin.

In a flash of movement, Ikkaku had wrenched his hand from Szayelaporro's and grabbed the espada by the collar.

"_Ikkaku!_" Yumichika gasped, bolting up from her chair.

The sound of three swords being drawn simultaneously rang out at the same time as her cry. Before Yumichika was even halfway standing, Ikkaku found himself with Szayelaporro's sword against his throat. Ulquiorra and Halibel were already halfway to them from their posts at the door, their own weapons at the ready. They stopped there, watching the scene warily.

"Ikkaku, _what are you doing_?" Yumichika all but shrieked, her heart pounding in her chest. "Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed?"

"Let go, shinigami," the Octava Espada hissed, his amber eyes narrowing. "You wouldn't want your pretty little lady to see you bleeding out on my floor, would you?"

Ikkaku glared heatedly back, not responding. After a long moment, his fingers slowly released, as if he were forcing himself to loosen his grip. Szayelaporro straightened up, keeping his blade against Ikkaku's throat, taking it away only when he was standing upright again.

"Are you going to behave now?" Szayelaporro asked, watching the shinigami with a look of hatred on his delicate face.

"Ikkaku, please do as he says," Yumichika pleaded. "Don't give them an excuse to kill you."

"I'm not much good to them dead," Ikkaku growled. "They need me to keep you in line, remember?"

"Ikkaku…" Yumichika said plaintively. Though Ikkaku was correct, she kept seeing him in her mind's eye getting his throat slit. The image terrified her.

"All right, fine," Ikkaku muttered grudgingly after another moment of glaring at the scientist standing over him.

Yumichika let out a sigh of relief, dropping back into her chair. Though she loathed the idea of cooperating with their captors, right now it was foolish to resist. Aizen wanted both of them alive, but there were plenty of ways to hurt them without resulting in their deaths. Compliance was the best option at the moment.

Szayelaporro sheathed his weapon, then took hold of Ikkaku's arm again and implanted the microchip, though he was none too gentle in doing so. When he removed the needle, he made no effort to stop the bleeding, instead snapping Ikkaku's wrist back into the handcuffs behind his back.

The scientist turned to a nearby computer terminal, fingers flying over the keyboard, typing rapidly. If Yumichika had been looking, she would have seen that he was checking the communication between the tracking program and the microchips, ensuring that both were functioning properly. When he had verified that everything was working as expected, he gave a curt nod, then straightened up.

"Take them," he barked disdainfully at the other two espada. "Get them out of my sight."

* * *

><p>Ikkaku stumbled as he was shoved unceremoniously through a door. He managed to keep his feet, but when he turned around to snarl his indignation at the blonde espada woman, he found himself with an armful of Yumichika as she was also propelled into the room. They collided rather hard, and Ikkaku had to take a step back to keep from being knocked over.<p>

Their two escorts left without a word or a backwards glance, the door closing and sealing itself shut as they departed. What Ikkaku was now looking at was more like a wall than a door, no knob or hinges visible. Even the gap between the door and the wall was near impossible to make out, just a hair-thin line. A piece of paper would have a hard time getting into it, to say nothing of one's fingers.

They were trapped in here.

"Fucking assholes!" Ikkaku swore, letting go of Yumichika as she pushed away from him to stand on her own feet. He rubbed at the red marks on his wrists, left behind by the metal handcuffs. After staring daggers at the door for a moment, as if Ulquiorra and Halibel could somehow feel his ire, he turned around to survey their prison.

They were in a small room with no furniture, save a bed against the opposite wall. The bed was just a mattress on legs with a blanket and pillow, though at least it meant they didn't have to sleep on the bare floor. It was small, but not too small for both of them, if they lay close to each other. Given the fact that Ikkaku often slept with his arms around Yumichika, that wouldn't be a problem.

The walls were plain white, and there were no windows, so they had no way to tell if they were near the outside or somewhere in the middle of the immense fortress of Las Noches. They could be underground, for all they knew.

There was, however, a door on the wall adjacent to the head of the bed. Curious, and a little suspicious, Ikkaku went over and tried the doorknob. It was unlocked, and swung open easily.

On the other side was a tiny bathroom containing toilet, sink, and a towel ring with a hand-towel hanging on it. A bar of plain soap sat in a dish on the sink.

"What a pleasant surprise," Ikkaku said flatly. "I guess they don't like their prisoners smelling like shit after a few days." In reality, it _was_ a pleasant surprise. The toilet was better than a hole in the ground—or worse, a corner of the room—and though he figured Yumichika had likely pushed her concern regarding appearances to the far back corner of her mind, he knew she would appreciate the soap and running water the sink provided. Ikkaku didn't find the idea of not bathing for days on end very appealing, either. A bar of soap and tap water was definitely better than nothing.

He closed the door, turning back toward Yumichika. What he saw gave him pause.

The raven-haired woman was sitting on the bed, leaning forward with her face in her hands, her elbows resting on her knees. Her hands were curled into loose fists over her eyes, and she was visibly shaking. She looked like she was crying.

The shaky sob that was her next breath confirmed it. She _was_ crying.

"Yumi?" Ikkaku asked tentatively, quickly going to her side. Yumichika didn't cry often. She was a strong woman, and although she thought deliberately hiding one's emotions to appear "tough" was ridiculous, she rarely let her own emotions get the better of her. She only cried when she was _really_ upset, and usually over an injustice done to someone she cared about, rather than herself. Given their current situation, however, Ikkaku could hardly fault his lover for letting tears fall.

"Hey," he said softly, sitting next to her and putting his arm around her shoulders. He leaned in close, speaking into her ear. "It's okay, babe. I'm here with you."

"That's why I'm crying!" Yumichika burst out, looking up at him, letting him see her pink, tear-streaked face. "They only brought you here to make me behave! You'd still be back home if it weren't for me!"

Ikkaku sighed. He knew it. As usual, her tears were for someone else, not herself. As narcissistic and self-centered as she appeared on the outside, she really was a sensitive, caring soul. She was fully capable of taking care of herself, so finding herself in harsh predicaments didn't even make her blink, but to see others in peril because of her was more than she could bear.

"Yumi," he said, placing his hand against her cheek so she couldn't look away again. His black eyes met her wisteria ones. "I'm glad they brought me here with you. If I was back in Soul Society right now, I'd be going crazy with worry. I'd tear a hole through the dimensions myself to get to you." He wiped away a tear with his thumb. "It's for the best that they took me, too. There's nowhere I'd rather be in a situation like this than by your side."

"Kaku…" she said softly, using the nickname usually reserved for the bedroom. On the rare occasions she used it while _not_ in the throes of conjugal bliss, it meant that she was feeling vulnerable, unsure of herself and needing his attention and comfort. Yumichika was hardly a helpless, fragile flower of a girl, and could handle adversity better than any man Ikkaku had ever known, including himself. To see her so desperate like this sent an arrow straight into the third seat's heart.

"No more crying now," he admonished gently, brushing tears from her cheek. "C'mon, show me the little Amazon I fell in love with."

Yumichika smiled in spite of herself. "Little Amazon" was his private nickname for her, though unlike her "Kaku," it wasn't used only during moments of passion or helplessness. Though the label of "Amazon" was often attached to women to disparage their femininity, Ikkaku used it as a term of affection and pride regarding her strength and capability. Yumichika had at first been indignant with the nickname, due to the usual meaning of the epithet, but over time had accepted and understood what Ikkaku meant by it, and now couldn't help but smile whenever it passed his lips.

"That's better," Ikkaku said, smiling back. He leaned forward, kissing her gently. He tasted the salt of her tears, felt the dryness of her lips. They were slightly chapped, the skin not as pliable as it usually was.

Yumichika shifted toward him to find a better angle, then suddenly stiffened, pulling back from the kiss with a hiss of discomfort. Ikkaku had placed his hand under her breasts affectionately, and the bruise there protested sharply, even his light touch causing pain to throb through her midsection.

"What is it?" Ikkaku asked, his eyebrows drawing downward in concern. He frowned as Yumichika gingerly removed his hand from her body, wondering what he could have done to cause her such pain.

"Nnoitra," Yumichika said, "the espada that defeated me, punched me there. He hit me so hard, I passed out." She grimaced at the memory. "It felt like he hit me with a sledgehammer. For someone so thin, he packs a lot of strength."

"He's a hollow," Ikkaku nodded. "Their outward appearance hardly ever tells you what they're capable of." He tugged at the edge of her kosode that crossed over her chest. "Let me see it."

Yumichika nodded and helped him open the garment, pulling her arms from the sleeves and letting it fall to her waist, where her hakama and sash held it snugly against her body.

Ikkaku drew in a sharp breath when he saw the angry mark on his lover's upper belly, the dark purple contrasting vividly with the paleness of her skin. It was considerably larger than a fist, the blood escaping from her ruptured capillaries invading the surrounding tissues as room for it at the site of impact ran out. The area was slightly swollen, tender to the touch and very painful.

"Oh, man," Ikkaku groaned. "He hit you _hard_. It's going to take a long time to heal."

"Yeah," Yumichika said, almost whispering. She winced as he very lightly touched the contusion, reflexively smacking his hand away.

"Sorry," Ikkaku apologized quickly. In all honesty, he wasn't sure why he had touched it when just looking at it was enough to tell him how bad it was.

"I can't imagine what he would have done if Aizen hadn't instructed him to bring me back relatively unhurt," Yumichika said, pulling her kosode back on, covering the bruise up again. She shuddered, remembering his blatant threat of rape. There was no doubt in her mind that he was fully capable of forcing himself on her and any other woman he took an interest in. She kept quiet, deciding that Ikkaku didn't need to know about the arrancar's salacious comments to her. It would just make him angry, and needlessly so.

"Speaking of Aizen," Ikkaku said after a moment of silence, "what did he mean, you have a power that he wants? What the hell is he talking about?"

Inwardly, Yumichika blanched. She had been dreading that question, which she knew Ikkaku would ask sooner or later. Outwardly, she shook her head, feigning ignorance.

"I don't know," she lied. "You heard what I said to him. I have no idea what he's talking about. I have no special abilities or powers that he could want. He's just…_crazy_ for even thinking so." Something stirred in the back of her mind, and another wave of dread washed over her, this one not caused by Ikkaku, but by someone else entirely.

"Are you _sure_?" Ikkaku asked slowly, watching her carefully. He had no reason to doubt her, but Aizen going through all the trouble of kidnapping them over a mistake just seemed ridiculous. The man had planned for decades to betray Soul Society, with no one suspecting him until it was too late. It was completely unlike Aizen not to know exactly what he was doing and how to do it.

Yumichika nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."

_Enough of this grotesque lie_, a voice suddenly growled in her head. _You shame yourself, my mistress. Just tell him about me. I will be revealed to him before long, you can be sure. Spare yourself the humiliation and tell him yourself before the traitor does._

_Hush!_ Yumichika shot back. _If I am _ever _going to tell Ikkaku about you, it will be by my own decision, not yours._

_You never should have kept me secret in the first place_, the voice asserted, angry and indignant.

_Be still, I said!_ Yumichika commanded. It took a considerable amount of effort to keep her irritation from showing on her face.

She suddenly noticed that Ikkaku was speaking again, and she had almost missed the question. "Do you think Aizen might be talking about some power you have that you don't even know about yet?"

"I don't see how," Yumichika said, looking down. "If _I_ don't even know about it yet, I don't see how _he_ could." The voice in her head gave a derisive "tch." She made no response.

"We don't know what Aizen's capable of," Ikkaku insisted. "He took everyone by surprise when he betrayed Soul Society. Who knows what he may know about you, me, or anyone else? He spent decades planning his betrayal, after all."

"It's possible," Yumichika admitted. "But I don't think it's at all probable."

"Are you _sure_ you have no idea what Aizen's talking about?" Ikkaku asked again. His gaze was penetrating, and Yumichika would have had a hard time looking into his eyes and lying at the same time if she wasn't already so skilled in hiding the truth. This was the _only_ thing she kept secret from Ikkaku, and she had become an expert in doing so.

"I'm _sure_, Ikkaku," she replied, nodding again. "I've already said that."

"Yumichika," he said, placing a hand on either side of her face, staring directly into her eyes, making sure she couldn't look away. "Are you telling me the truth?" He spoke slowly, deliberately.

"Of course I am," Yumichika murmured, a hurt expression on her face. "Please, don't doubt me, Ikkaku. It stings to even think that you could."

_A _stellar _performance, as always_, the voice in her head sneered. _You are a _consummate _actress, my mistress._

Yumichika ignored the voice.

Ikkaku drew back, letting go of her. Guilt constricted his heart. She was right, how _could_ he doubt her? After all their years together, it was inconceivable that she would lie to him, especially about something this important. Aizen was sorely mistaken about Yumichika. There was nothing she had that he could possibly want. The idea that the traitorous ex-captain may want her carnally crossed his mind, but he shoved the thought away. He couldn't dwell on that.

"I'm sorry, Yumi," he apologized. "You know I could never doubt you. I…I'm just a little stressed right now, is all."

"It's okay," Yumichika said, accepting his apology. "I understand."

_Acting like _you're _the injured party!_ the voice cried, laughing bitterly. _How utterly absurd!_

Again, Yumichika refused to respond.

"There's a bathroom through there," Ikkaku said, gesturing toward the door by the bed. "You can get cleaned up in there. Then, I think we should get some sleep."

"Yeah," Yumichika agreed, standing up. "I'm exhausted." As she passed Ikkaku, she laid a hand against his cheek, caressing it affectionately.

Ikkaku leaned into the touch, his eyes sliding closed. He opened them again when her hand left his skin, and as she turned the knob on the door, he spoke. "Things'll be okay, Yumi. We'll get out of here, I promise."

The smile she gave him was thin, almost sad. Then she disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

* * *

><p>Ikkaku exited the bathroom, the door swinging shut behind him. After Yumichika had washed up, Ikkaku had done the same for himself as she settled into bed. He had rinsed away the remnants of the blood that had spattered him upon killing the two arrancar grunts in Seireitei, as well as the evidence of his and Yumichika's activities in the training room. He knew Yumichika must have done the same.<p>

He had almost burst a blood vessel when the espada named Nnoitra had loudly called his lover a cunt who couldn't keep her legs shut. Thinking about it made his blood boil even now. Gods, he wanted to rip that arrancar's balls off for _daring_ to speak of her in such a degrading way! Although, he would gladly let Yumichika do it instead if she wanted to. She couldn't have appreciated the comments any more than Ikkaku had.

Yumichika was lying in the bed, her back to the room. She had made sure Ikkaku had enough room to lie down as well, being closer to the wall than to the outside edge. Her hakama was neatly folded, lying on the floor by the foot of the bed, her waraji and tabi on top of it. She normally slept in a yukata, so removing her hakama to sleep in her kosode was probably the most comfortable for her. The hakama didn't appear to have its sash with it, meaning she was likely using the white length of fabric to hold the kosode closed.

Ikkaku decided to follow suit, removing his footwear and lower garment and depositing them next to Yumichika's (not as neatly, of course). After tying the sash around his waist with a loose knot, he slipped into bed, spooning against her. He gently wound an arm around her, careful not to touch her upper belly.

"G'night, love," he murmured, placing a feather-light kiss behind her ear. She stirred, but did not wake.

_I'll protect you, Yumi_, he said mentally, closing his eyes and holding her as tightly as he dared. _I won't let anything happen to you._

**To be continued…**

**Author's Notes:** I would have liked to have gotten this chapter posted at least a week ago, but Real Life insisted in getting in the way. Work and health issues, mainly. Yay.

Anyway, it's posted now. Yumi is being chastised by a voice in her head. I'm sure you all can take a pretty good guess as to whom that voice belongs to.

The syringes Szayelaporro used to implant microchips in Ikkaku and Yumichika are based upon the syringes used to microchip dogs and cats by veterinarians. I worked in an animal hospital for three years, and clients would get their pets chipped fairly frequently. The real-life microchip doesn't send out a homing signal like the ones in this story, but it allows the animal to be identified with a scanner if they're ever lost. The needles used to implant the chips are crazy big. I can't imagine getting poked with one of those things. (Surprisingly, most animals don't seem to be bothered by it.)

As usual, please leave a review. I would love to hear what you think of this fanfic. Feedback is my drug of choice.


	5. Recollections

**Author's Notes:** See chapter one for disclaimer.

Thanks so much to crazy purple ninja, HikariFighter, and lelann37 for reading and reviewing chapter four! I also thank them and everyone else reading for their patience regarding the low update frequency. I really should start writing more, like I used to.

**The Price of Freedom  
><strong>By Annie-chan  
><strong>Chapter Five: Recollections<strong>

"You have _got_ to be joking!"

Zaraki Kenpachi stood before Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni, captain-commander of the Gotei Thirteen. He was flanked by the eleven other division captains, six on his left and five on his right. It was early in the morning, and an emergency captains' meeting had been called.

Last evening, arrancar had invaded Seireitei, and two high-ranking shinigami had been kidnapped.

"It is not a joke, Zaraki-taichou," the captain-commander responded, unfazed by the other man's temper. "I will not permit something so reckless."

"My top officers have been taken prisoner!" Zaraki growled, his one visible eye flashing with anger. "Don't you see? Last night was an act of war!"

"Do we know _why_ they were kidnapped?" Kuchiki Byakuya spoke up, his demeanor calm and calculating, as always.

"No," Zaraki replied, "but does it matter?"

"Aizen's motives _do_ matter," Sui Feng said off to his left. "If they were taken to be hostages, then we must hold off on going after them until we know what he wants."

"If we go barreling into things without hearing his demands, then he may outright kill them," Hitsugaya Toushirou put in, his icy green eyes seemingly out of place on such a young face.

"Perhaps Aizen _wants_ to provoke a response from us," Komamura Sajin suggested. "If so, attempting a rescue may lead us right into a trap."

"On the other hand, inaction on our part could be taken as indifference to Madarame and Ayasegawa's situation," Ukitake Juushirou said. "That may also risk their lives."

"But why those two?" Kyouraku Shunsui asked. "They seem to have been purposely targeted. What would Aizen want with them?"

"Zaraki-taichou?" Yamamoto-soutaichou prompted.

"I have no idea why Aizen would want them," Zaraki admitted. "But I don't care about that! I will _not_ put up with a deliberate attack upon my division!"

"I understand your anger over this, Zaraki-taichou," Yamamoto said, "but my decision has been made. We will wait until Aizen communicates his intentions regarding the prisoners, and then formulate our response accordingly."

"You're not suggesting _diplomacy_ with that filthy traitor?" Zaraki all but roared, visibly disgusted with the idea. "And what if he doesn't 'communicate his intentions'? We'll be waiting around forever while _my men_ are locked up like animals!"

"That will be dealt with if and when it comes to that," Yamamoto replied. "This meeting is over now."

Zaraki stared at him for a long moment, expression furious, then turned with a snarl, stalking toward the exit. He was livid, his reiatsu lashing out around him in his anger. Anyone within Seireitei would be able to feel just how enraged he was.

"I strongly advise you against acting on your own, Zaraki-taichou," Yamamoto's voice reached his ears as he was about to leave the conference room. "Invading Las Noches could bring disaster not only for Seireitei, but for Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika. Do not put their lives and the lives of others at stake simply to satisfy your desire for retribution."

Zaraki left without a response or even a glance back.

"Ken-chan!" a child's voice greeted him. A flash of pink, and Yachiru was clinging to his shoulder. "Why are you so mad? Are we going after Neechan and Pachinko Head now?"

"No," Zaraki ground out, his teeth clenched tightly. "Not right now."

"But they need our help!" Yachiru cried, shock and disappointment in her large eyes.

"I know," Zaraki nodded. "The old man thinks there are too many reasons _not_ to go after them right away." There was a gleam in his eye. "I'll hold off for now, but if he expects me to sit around forever waiting for Aizen to make a move, he's sorely mistaken."

* * *

><p><em>Yumichika hurried down the road, her loose hair flowing behind her as she trotted along. Word that a fight had broken out a few streets away had reached her ears. It seemed a man was taking on a small gang and soundly defeating them all in succession. Her interest piqued, Yumichika had abandoned her walk back to the inn she was staying at and dashed off to witness the spectacle for herself.<em>

_As she neared the finery shop she had been told the fight was taking place in front of, it was obvious she hadn't been the only one with that idea. A large number of people had gathered, forming a circle around what had to be the combatants. Yumichika heard the distinct sound of blades clashing._

_Yumichika pushed her way through the crowd as unobtrusively as she could, wanting to see what was going on in the center. She received a few complaints from those she squeezed past, but she paid them no mind. However, when someone took advantage of the close contact and groped at her breast, she immediately threw a punch, knocking the owner of the offending hand unconscious. Without a backward glance, she then slid past the last few people and broke through to the front of the crowd._

_Two men were fighting it out in the wide circle formed by the onlookers. One of them obviously had the advantage, and Yumichika guessed that he was the one she had heard was defeating his overconfident challengers one-by-one. The other man was making a valiant effort, but it was easy to see that his strikes were getting less and less effective as his endurance and strength dwindled._

_Yumichika watched the two men as they fought, a smile slowly spreading across her lips. The man who was winning fought with a ferocity she hadn't seen in a long time, and she was captivated by his movements. They were savage, yet had a certain grace to them. It was the grace of a well-skilled fighter, his body and weapon acting as one._

_In just a few minutes, the fight was over. The victor laughed derisively as the other fled, nursing a broken wrist, his sword clutched clumsily in his off hand._

"_Who's next?" the man threw out to the surrounding crowd. His shaved head glistened with sweat, the odd red markings around his eyes giving him a feral appearance._

_Yumichika reached into an inside pocket of her kimono, retrieving a cord of braided purple silk with tassels on the ends. With it, she tied her hair back into a ponytail._

"_Anyone?" the man pressed, scanning the crowd. "No one?" He watched the people in the crowd shuffle their feet nervously, looking at each other in unease. He gave a disdainful sigh, starting to sheathe his blade. "I knew this would be over too soon…"_

_Yumichika drew her sword and stepped forward. "I challenge you."_

_A startled murmur ran through the crowd. Many onlookers, it seemed, were shocked that a woman had drawn her sword upon a man who had just soundly defeated at least a half-dozen opponents. She was taller than most women, yet she came nowhere near the man's bulk._

_The man turned at the sound of her voice, then stepped back in surprise when he saw who it belonged to._

"You _challenge me?" he asked, disbelieving. "You can't be serious!"_

"_I am very serious," Yumichika replied, leveling her sword at the man. "Do you accept my challenge or not?"_

"_I accept any challenge," the man said arrogantly, shouldering his weapon. "Though I'm not used to getting them from people like you."_

"'_People like me'?" Yumichika repeated. "Whatever do you mean?"_

"_Well, for one, you're a woman," the man explained, "and two, you don't look like the fighting type. You're too pretty."_

_Yumichika smiled at the compliment. "Looks can be deceiving," she said. "Now come, fight me. Unless you're afraid you'll lose to a girl?"_

_The man's eyebrows drew downward into a scowl, her taunt having struck a nerve. "Don't expect me to hold back," he growled, bringing his sword in front of him once more._

"_I'd be disappointed if you did," Yumichika threw back, unfazed. Confidence was one of her natural gifts, not one ounce of nervousness or uncertainty in her._

_The man lunged forward without further warning, striking out at his challenger. His sword met Yumichika's with a deafening clang._

"_Tell me your name," the man said. Their swords were scraping against one another, neither giving way in the contest of strength. The smile had returned to his lips, his black eyes boring into Yumichika's wisteria ones._

"_Ayasegawa Yumichika," she replied, staring back just as boldly. "And you?"_

"_Madarame Ikkaku."_

_The man named Madarame suddenly increased the pressure, pushing beyond Yumichika's strength. She was forced to jump back, her sword ringing shrilly as it vibrated in her hand. Without a second's delay, she brought the weapon up again, blocking another strike as Madarame followed her relentlessly._

_They plowed right into the crowd, the makeshift arena dissipating as the onlookers scattered, fearful for their lives._

_Yumichika traded blows with Madarame for some time, neither backing down, the two of them seemingly evenly matched. Adrenaline was rushing through her veins, her breath filling her chest to its limit, heartbeat pounding in her ears. Her body sang with the exertion, muscles burning and nerves thrumming. She hadn't had such a thrilling opponent in a very long time._

"_You're good," Madarame remarked, blocking an overhead strike, saving his head from being cleaved in two. He was grinning maniacally, clearly enjoying himself. "You're _way _better than I'd thought you'd be."_

"_I told you, looks can be deceiving," Yumichika said, smiling back. She parried a strike aimed at her midsection. "You're not so bad yourself."_

"_Heh…didn't think someone like _you _would be in a little town like _this_," Madarame continued. He was panting, though he seemed far from tiring._

"_I am not of this town," Yumichika clarified, dancing out of range of Madarame's sword. "I am staying here only a short while, and then I will be on my way."_

"_You're a wanderer too, eh?" Madarame struck out with his foot, attempting to trip his long-haired opponent._

_Yumichika stumbled, but managed to roll with it, twirling in a full circle and then coming at Madarame from his side. Their blades once again clashed, the shrill sound of metal against metal splitting the air._

_The fought for several minutes more. Yumichika noticed that they had moved down the street a considerable ways. She also noticed that a group of people were following them, watching their exchange with intense interest. They were likely from the original crowd of onlookers. Everyone else gave her and Madarame a wide berth, wary of their flashing blades._

_Then, suddenly, their swords met each other with such force that her weapon was wrenched from her hand, spinning away to her right. Yumichika staggered back with a cry, clutching her wrist. For a horrified second, she thought the bones had snapped. But no, her wrist had not broken. She was, however, disarmed and defenseless._

_She found herself staring into Madarame's equally shocked eyes as he stood a short distance away. Her heart nearly stopped when she realized that he was also weaponless. He, too, had had his sword knocked from his hand._

_Simultaneously, their heads turned, Yumichika looking to her right and Madarame to his left. Their swords lay on the ground not ten feet from them and less than a foot from each other._

_They lunged at the same time._

_Yumichika got there a fraction of a second before Madarame. She snatched her sword up and, without thinking, kicked Madarame's sword out of his reach. Madarame ended up falling facedown in the dirt, diving for something that was suddenly not there. He pushed himself up, but was knocked back again, the air rushing out of his lungs as Yumichika's knee connected with his chest. He fell hard on his back._

"_Surrender," Yumichika demanded, holding her sword against Madarame's throat. She was kneeling on him, one knee still against his chest, the other one pressing down on his left bicep. They were both breathing hard, sweat covering every inch of their skin. Her hair was pulled halfway out of its silk tie, dirt and blood smudged across her face. They could hear cheering coming from somewhere in the background._

_They stared at each other for a long moment, neither moving. Yumichika could hear her heartbeat in her ears, feel it in her chest and throat._

_Finally, a slow grin spread across Madarame's face. "All right," he said, his voice raspy with exertion. "You win. I surrender."_

_Yumichika let him up, though she kept her guard raised. She watched him retrieve his sword, and only when he slid it into its sheath did she relax. Less than honorable opponents had tried to fool her in the past by pretending to surrender, and as she had just met this Madarame, she wasn't sure how honorable a man he was. He had seemingly accepted defeat, however._

"_Well," she said, sheathing her blade as well, "now that _that's _over with, you're going to go with me back to my room at the inn."_

_Madarame raised an eyebrow, apparently not sure how to take that statement._

"_I need to clean myself up," Yumichika explained, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm all dirty and sweaty and _unbeautiful_, thanks to you. You could stand some cleaning up, too. Then, we're going down to the common room for drinks. You're buying."_

"_Oh, I am, am I?" Madarame said, looking at Yumichika appraisingly._

"_Of course," Yumichika nodded, hands on hips. "The loser treats the winner to drinks. Or did I forget to lay down the stakes before we started?"_

"_There _were _no stakes," Madarame pointed out. He gave her a challenging look, arms crossed. "What if I don't _want _to treat you?"_

"_Too bad," Yumichika said dismissively. "I won, so you have to give me something I want."_

"_You're one pushy broad, Ayasegawa," Madarame sighed, looking up at the sky. "Okay, fine, I'll buy you a drink. But just one."_

_Yumichika grinned. "That's more like it."_

* * *

><p>"Yumichika."<p>

"Hmm…?"

"C'mon, wake up. There's food."

Yumichika's stomach growled at the mention of food, and she shook herself awake.

Ikkaku was standing next to the bed, leaning over her. He straightened as she sat up, rubbing at her eyes.

"How long was I sleeping?" she yawned. Things were so dull in their tiny prison that, despite her anxiety over their situation, she had lain down on the bed and fallen asleep.

"Hard to say," Ikkaku shrugged. "It's not like time is easy to keep track of in here." There were no clocks or windows, so the two of them could only guess at how long they had been imprisoned. Ikkaku guessed that it was almost a day so far, but he had no way of being sure.

Yumichika stood up, stretching. She saw a tray on the floor near the door, and on it were some dishes. There were two servings of rice and two of miso soup, as well as a pitcher of water and two glasses.

The arrancar who had delivered the tray had been the first person to visit them since they were shut in here.

"Well, it looks like they don't intend to starve us, at least," Ikkaku commented as he brought the tray over to the bed.

"Maybe not outright," Yumichika replied, sitting on the floor as he set the tray down. "But if they're going to make us wait so long between each meal, it won't be too long before we feel like we are."

Ikkaku nodded slowly. Starvation, or near-starvation, was a tactic often inflicted upon prisoners in order to weaken their resolve and make them more cooperative. Perhaps that was Aizen's intention here. After all, it had been at _least_ several hours since they had been locked up, and both their stomachs had been complaining audibly for a while now.

Still, food was food, and it would be ridiculous for Aizen to poison them without even trying to get anything out of them first. They both started eating without hesitation.

The rice was plain, and the soup was cold, as it would be served in summertime. Yumichika normally wasn't too fond of miso, but right now she had no complaints. If their meals were going to be few and far-between, as she suspected, then it would be stupid to leave any uneaten, the nutrients going to waste in the bowl. No sense in aiding Aizen's efforts to beat them down.

After a short while, the meager offering of food was gone, as was the water. Yumichika had a brief feeling of dread as she looked at the empty dishes, imagining Ikkaku and her reduced to waiting despondently for their next meal, starved to the point of caring about little else. What would they be willing to do in order to be fed, if it came to that? She'd like to believe they would hold fast, refusing to submit to Aizen's demands, but in reality she had no idea what she would do. Slowly dying of malnutrition can break even strongest of wills, the survival instinct overriding any rational thought, and Yumichika was terrified that she may eventually crumble under the pressure. There had been periods during her childhood in Rukongai where food was scarce, and she vividly remembered the desperation that hunger can instill in a person if allowed to grow too deep.

She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. _Think of something else_, she scolded. Scaring herself was doing her no good, and if she made a habit of it, it would only help further Aizen's plans. A scared shinigami was an easily manipulated shinigami.

"I had a dream just before you woke me up," she said out loud.

"Oh?" Ikkaku turned to look at her. Yumichika's dreams were often of lifelike clarity, and she had described some rather interesting scenarios to him in the past. Crystal clear as they were, they often didn't make much more sense upon waking than anyone else's dreams did.

"It was more of a memory than a dream, really," she said. "It was our first meeting."

"Ahh," Ikkaku nodded, a smile settling on his face. "One of the few times I willingly admitted defeat."

"At least you didn't demand that I kill you like you did with Taichou."

"That's 'cause you didn't beat me to a bloody pulp and then leave me there like I wasn't worth finishing off," her lover explained. "You won only because you had a sword in your hand and I didn't."

"So you've said before," she said. "It couldn't possibly be because I'm good with a sword." She was definitely the vain one in their relationship, but that wasn't to say that Ikkaku didn't have a sizeable ego himself. Sometimes he gave her a run for her money in the pride department.

"You're excellent with a sword," Ikkaku agreed, "but you can't deny that if I had gotten there a half-second faster, it may have turned out completely different."

"_May_ have," Yumichika stressed. "Let's face it, we're in each other's lives only because I won. If _you_ had won, you would have gone on your way as soon as it was over. I only got you to come for drinks with me because I beat you. You should thank your lucky stars that I did."

"We've been through this many times, Yumi," Ikkaku reminded her, "but yeah, you're right. I didn't know it yet, but I had just met who would become the most important person in the world to me. My life would have a lot less meaning in it if you hadn't drawn your sword on me that day." His volume had dropped, and he was now speaking softly, almost whispering.

Yumichika felt a warmth in her chest. "I met the most important person in my life then, too," she said, her voice quieting as well. "I thank _my_ lucky stars I decided to go find that fight I had heard about. I could have just shrugged it off and gone back to the inn. I almost did, actually."

Ikkaku found her hand with his and gave it an affectionate squeeze. "Love you, Yumi."

"I love you, too." Inwardly, she marveled at how quickly her demeanor had changed. In just a few minutes, she had gone from worrying about starvation to fondly recalling her first meeting with her beloved.

"It's funny how the course of your whole life can be changed with one tiny decision."

"Mmhm."

Ikkaku watched her for a moment, then, "It's good to see you smile."

Yumichika blinked. She hadn't been aware that she was smiling.

"I know we're in a tough situation," Ikkaku continued. "Hell, that's the understatement of the year. But still, I don't like seeing you sad."

"But—"

"No," he cut her off, shaking his head. "I don't want to hear about how it's your fault. It's not. It's Aizen's fault we're here. _He's_ the one with delusions of you having some kind of power he can tap into."

Yumichika's chest tightened at Ikkaku's words. She was painfully aware of her zanpakutou's presence in the back of her mind. The sword spirit didn't say anything, but she knew he was listening.

"I don't want you to give in to despair," Ikkaku went on. "No matter what happens, I want you to stay strong. If Aizen breaks either one of us, there's no telling what will happen, for us or for Soul Society."

"I'll try," Yumichika said, nodding slowly.

"No, don't try. Just do."

Yumichika paused for just a second, then closed her eyes. "All right. I will." It was as if Ikkaku had guessed her fears about not being able to hold up under Aizen's pressures. Perhaps he had. She knew he had no doubts concerning her strength of body or character, but neither of them had been in a situation like this before. They were at the mercy of a man of questionable sanity bent on destroying everything they held dear. All the future held for them was uncertainty. Even the most stoic of warriors would be hard-pressed not to worry over what was in store for them.

Ikkaku squeezed her hand again in encouragement. His head then snapped around to look at the door. There had been a noise. Someone was on the other side.

The door opened. Ikkaku stood up as four people entered, his body tensing. Yumichika remained sitting, though she was also far from relaxed. She tried to keep her expression blank, though there was a noticeable apprehension in her eyes. Ikkaku made no attempt to hide his scowl.

It was Tier Halibel. The Tercera Espada regarded them both with disinterest, her face mostly hidden by her high collar. Flanking her were three other female arrancar, one with long green hair and purple eyes, one with wavy brown hair and green eyes, and one with short blue hair and odd eyes, one blue and one brown. Their clothing, white of course, gave them varying degrees of coverage, from very little skin showing to almost naked.

"Ayasegawa Yumichika," Halibel said, "you're to come with us. Aizen-sama wishes to speak with you."

For a moment, Yumichika did not move. She stared at the four arrancar, a sick feeling settling in her stomach. She had to consciously make herself stand, slowly rising from the floor. Without looking at Ikkaku, she walked toward the blonde espada, her movements slightly forced. Her hands were shaking.

When Ikkaku made to follow, Halibel immediately spoke. "No. You stay here. Aizen-sama has asked for Ayasegawa only."

"The _hell_ I'm staying!" Ikkaku snarled, coming forward. There was no _way_ he was letting them take Yumichika without him. He wasn't about to let her out of his sight.

He had only taken two steps, however, and then the three arrancar accompanying Halibel were suddenly between him and the espada. The green-eyed one held the point of a sword at his throat. The other two had yet to draw any weapons, though it was clear that they wouldn't hesitate if they needed to. There was no mistaking their intent: Step back or die.

"Ikkaku," Yumichika said, "please, don't try to follow. Don't give them a reason to hurt you." There was an urgent tremor in her voice.

The third seat gritted his teeth, staring murderously at the three women blocking him from his lover. His hands had curled into fists, and his whole body was trembling with anger.

When he looked at Yumichika, however, and saw the fear in her eyes, he felt his fury subside. She was terrified of seeing him hurt. Despite Aizen's assertion that he wanted Ikkaku around to keep Yumichika in line, if Ikkaku didn't back down now, he would pay dearly for it. His death, after all, would be a serious blow to Yumichika, and could very well make her more pliable to Aizen's manipulations.

Ikkaku couldn't do that to her. Swallowing his pride, he took a single step back, his eyes trained on the floor. It took an enormous effort on his part, but he managed to remove himself as a threat, offering no resistance to their taking Yumichika away.

As soon as he backed down, Halibel took a firm hold of Yumichika's arm and steered her out the door. They were gone in a matter of seconds. Her three companions followed, the one with the sword backing away more slowly than the others, keeping her weapon pointed at Ikkaku in case he made any sudden moves. He didn't, however, and once she reached the door, she lowered her sword and went out. The door closed behind her, blending in with the wall just as thoroughly as it always had.

Ikkaku sat down hard on the bed, dropping his head into his hands. Yumichika was gone. He had no way of knowing when they would bring her back, or even _if_ they would bring her back.

Things had gotten just a little bit bleaker.

**To be continued…**

**Author's Notes:** The three female arrancar with Halibel are Cyan Sung-Sun, Franceska Mila Rose, and Emilou Apacci. However, anyone familiar with _Bleach_ would likely already know that, so the explanation was probably unneeded.

I'm hoping Yumichika's fearfulness isn't seen as too out of character. They're in a situation they've never been in before, and Ikkaku is being held over her head as incentive to behave, which makes her feel like it's her fault he's even there. There's also the threat of Ruriiro Kujaku being revealed to Ikkaku, which is one her biggest fears. I think her loss of confidence in this fic is warranted. She's lost all control of what happens to her, and that's enough to rattle anyone's nerves.

I know Zaraki could be seen as bending too easily to Yamamoto's orders. This will be addressed later on, so don't worry.

As always, please leave a review. Is the flashback to their first meeting believable? Am I keeping up with everyone's expectations? I'd love to hear what you guys think of this. I need my feedback fix, too.

See you all next time.


	6. Convictions

**Author's Notes:** See chapter one for disclaimer.

Thanks so much to HikariFighter, lelann37, and The Kujaku for reading and reviewing chapter five! I urge everyone to go read The Kujaku's excellent story, "The Peacock." It's really long, so it'll take a lot of reading, but it's incredibly good. The first chapter of the sequel has just been posted, too. I can't wait to read it!

A brief note: I'm familiar with _Bleach_ through the manga. I haven't watched the anime, though I plan on doing that eventually. As the manga is in black and white, sometimes I have to look up anime screencaps if I want to know the color of something (a character's hair or eyes, for example). I didn't do that with cero, as I figured that a blast of nothing energy would be white or black. As it appears colorless in the manga, I assumed it's white. Looking at some screencaps recently, I saw that the anime shows cero as red. Personally, I think white makes more sense, but whatever. I described Nnoitra's cero earlier in the story as white, but apparently no one minds as no one corrected me. Either that, or no one noticed. In any case, I wanted to mention my mistake.

**The Price of Freedom  
><strong>By Annie-chan  
><strong>Chapter Six: Convictions<strong>

Yumichika had to remind herself to breathe as she was led down the hallway.

She was surrounded by the four arrancar who had taken her from the room she and Ikkaku were being held in. One in front, one behind, and one on either side. Halibel led, and she hadn't spared Yumichika a single glance since letting go of her arm. None of them had spoken, either to Yumichika or to each other.

Yumichika had an odd sense of being isolated, despite having four people within arm's reach. It gave her the chills.

They were taking her to see Aizen. The former shinigami was waiting for her somewhere in this vast, lifeless fortress, and Yumichika hadn't a clue what he meant to do with her. Halibel had only said that he wanted to "speak" with her, but there were so many things that that could entail. A lump had formed in her throat as numerous possibilities flitted through her head.

He had put his sword through his unflinchingly loyal vice-captain. There's no telling what he was willing to do to Yumichika.

Her rational side argued that he wanted her zanpakutou's power, and if he killed her, then her zanpakutou would die, too. But then her fearful side reminded her that there were so many ways to hurt her without killing her. There were plenty of tactics he could use to try to weaken her spirit, break her resolve and open her up for manipulation.

And if Aizen got impatient with her resistance, then he would take it out on Ikkaku. Her lover would be punished for her lack of cooperation. She would be forced to choose either bending to Aizen's demands and giving him a devastating weapon, or condemning Ikkaku to incalculable suffering.

It truly was the Devil's choice. She was damned if she did and damned if she didn't. No matter which evil she chose, she would never escape her guilt or shame.

Her arrancar escorts suddenly halted. They were now standing in front of a set of double doors, tall and narrow and, despite their otherwise unremarkable appearance, somehow imposing.

Yumichika felt her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Aizen must be behind those doors. She had no more time to worry over what may happen to her. Whatever was to come was now only a few steps away.

Halibel knocked the right-hand door. As it swung open, the Tercera Espada gripped Yumichika by the back of the neck, steering her toward the open door and pushing her through. Yumichika had no opportunity to put up a fight, and before she knew it, she was in the room on the other side, the door closing behind her.

The click of the latch resounded like a death knell in Yumichika's ears.

"Ah, you're here," Aizen said, setting his cup down and smiling. "Welcome."

Yumichika didn't react for a moment. She was having a bit of trouble believing what she was seeing. The room appeared to be some kind of sitting room or parlor, a place where a host would entertain guests, perhaps. Everything was white, save for black and gold accents here and there on the furniture. Aizen was sitting at a small table near the wall furthest from the door, a cup of tea in front of him. There was another teacup in front of the empty chair across from him, thin wisps of steam rising from it.

"Come closer," the former captain said, motioning her to come forward.

She slowly walked toward him, watching him warily. He hadn't done anything threatening so far, but she couldn't dispel the tenseness in her body. She had expected something altogether different than this. A bare interrogation room, a torture chamber, _something_. Instead, she was in a setting that was—dare she say it?—hospitable. The sheer unexpectedness of it was throwing her off, making her even more nervous.

_That's probably what he wants…_

"Take a seat," Aizen said, gesturing to the chair across from him. "I won't have my guest left standing around."

"_Guest?!_" she burst out before she could stop herself. "I'm not your guest, I'm your prisoner!" Her hands had clenched into fists.

Aizen's smile disappeared for a moment, but then returned. There was something less amiable about it now.

"That is true," he said, a glint in his eye, "and I expect you to do as you're told. Now, sit."

Yumichika hesitated a moment longer, then sat down across from him. She kept her eyes trained on the tabletop, not wanting to look at him.

She hated this man. He was threatening to harm Ikkaku if she didn't behave. She was sure he would have no compunctions about revealing Ruriiro Kujaku to Ikkaku, either. He _had_ to know just how deeply she feared Ikkaku learning her secret. He could do it just to hurt her, to put her through the anguish of having her beloved lose his trust and respect for her. There was nothing he wouldn't do to crush her, to break her to his will and gain access to her zanpakutou.

If she had only herself to worry about, this would be easier to handle. It was the fact that Ikkaku was being involved that made both her anger and her fear rise to near boiling levels. She hated Aizen for dragging Ikkaku into this, and she was deathly afraid of what the ex-shinigami would do to get what he wanted.

Aizen reached across the table and took hold of her chin, tilting her face up to him. "Look at me," he said. "I want to see your pretty face."

Yumichika clenched her teeth behind her closed lips, the skin around her eyes tightening. She did not look away, though, now staring boldly at him. She hoped he saw in her eyes just how much she hated him.

If he did, he made no indication. "So, lovely," he smiled. "Even the radiant Sun Goddess pales next to your beauty."

"Spare me," Yumichika scoffed. "I know you didn't bring me here just to flatter me."

Aizen took a sip of his tea. "And how do _you_ know what I brought you here for?"

Yumichika's eyes narrowed. "Isn't it obvious?"

"I should hope so," Aizen shrugged. "Halibel told you when she got you, didn't she? I wanted to speak with you."

"And there are so many things that _speaking with me_ could mean," Yumichika accused.

Aizen sighed. "I didn't expect you to be cooperative." He took another sip. "Have some tea. It's quite good."

Yumichika continued staring at him, her expression distrustful.

"There wouldn't be any point in killing you," Aizen said. "If fact, that's exactly what I _don't_ want to do. I can assure you, it's not poisoned."

"Then it's drugged," she muttered, looking down at it.

Aizen chuckled. "It's rather prudent of you to assume that. After all, you're expecting an interrogation. It would be such an easy thing for me to slip you something to make you more talkative." He set his cup down on the saucer, then slid it across the table toward her, bringing her cup over to himself, switching them. He had taken a few sips from his, but it was still almost full. "There. Do you feel better now?"

Yumichika looked at the new cup in front of her. "Since when do _you_ care if I feel better?"

Aizen shrugged. "I don't, to be honest."

Yumichika sighed through her nose. Finally, tentatively, she lifted the teacup to her lips, tasting the hot liquid. It _was_ quite good.

Unfortunately, she wasn't in a situation where she could enjoy it.

"You're not letting me see your face very well."

Yumichika clenched her teeth again, but looked back up at her captor. He was resting his cheek against a loose fist, looking at her like one would a beautiful painting or piece of scenery. Like she was just a pretty object and not a living, thinking person.

After a few minutes of this, she couldn't hold back anymore. "Are you just going to stare at me all day?" she snapped.

"Perhaps," Aizen replied. "I like looking at you. You're very easy on the eyes."

Yumichika sighed inwardly. Great. Normally, she enjoyed having people admire her beauty. Not this time, though. This time, she felt like she was being scrutinized, sized up for some unknown purpose. She didn't detect any lechery in his gaze—she would have easily recognized _that_—but she couldn't deny that his stare was making her more than a little uncomfortable.

"I remember the first time I saw you," Aizen said after another moment. "You were just a few months graduated from the Academy. I was…stunned. I had never seen anyone so beautiful before. Imagine my surprise when I found out you were in the Eleventh Division. The _Eleventh_ Division! I was sure I had heard wrong. Surely, such a lovely young lady wouldn't be under _Zaraki's_ command. He demands brute strength and a lust for battle from his men, and I couldn't imagine you fitting his requirements. Or that you would even want to. Why would you want in with a group of thugs like that?"

Yumichika was silent, letting him speak. She had little interest in hearing his recollections of her, but she also didn't have much of a choice.

"And then I found out about your lover, another of Zaraki's new recruits," Aizen continued. "You joined the Eleventh Division in order to stay close to him. And yet, you didn't do it just by riding in on his coattails. Zaraki doesn't do things that way. It was your own skill with a sword that gained you entrance into his squad. I was very impressed. Few women have both the strength and the personality to even _think_ of trying out for the Eleventh, and of those who do, none even want to try. After all, what woman wants to be surrounded all the time by a bunch of hyper-masculine dullards? There are plenty of other divisions that a strong woman like you would absolutely thrive in."

He leaned forward, as if intensely interested in what she had to say. "Tell me, Yumichika, would you have even _considered_ the Eleventh Division if you and Madarame weren't so…attached at the hip?"

Yumichika ignored the pun concerning their relationship. "No," she answered steadily.

"You would have joined a division better suited to your tastes, then?" Aizen took a sip of tea. "Which one would it have been?"

"I don't have an answer for that," she said. "I've never thought about it."

"But it definitely wouldn't be the Eleventh, would it?"

"No, it wouldn't."

"You know, for such a confident, seemingly self-sufficient woman, you display a shocking level of dependence upon your man," Aizen said, a hint of a smile on his face. "You're sacrificing your own happiness just to be with him."

"No," Yumichika said firmly. "That's not what I'm doing."

"Isn't it?" Aizen countered. "You just said that he's the only reason you joined the Eleventh, and that you would have joined another division if he wasn't in the picture." His voice lowered, as if revealing a painful truth. "You're letting that man run your life. How can you face yourself in the mirror every morning?"

"I never pegged you as a feminist," Yumichika growled, eyes furious. "I know what you're trying to do, Aizen, and it won't work. To think that I can only find happiness in one way is ridiculous. I am not _sacrificing_ anything. If Ikkaku weren't in my life, yes, I would have chosen another division, and yes, I'd probably be happy there. But Ikkaku _is_ in my life, and I chose to follow him into the Eleventh. I _am_ happy there. I'm happy in my place at his side, living and fighting alongside him every day. If the blockheads making up the rest of the division disgust me, it's but a minor irritation." Her hands were aching, and she realized that her fists were clenched in her lap. She had to consciously make them loosen. "I have never longed for a place in another division. In any other reality, I would have made a different choice, but for _this_ reality, I know I made the right one. Ikkaku belongs in the Eleventh, and therefore so do I. To put me in any other division would make me very _un_happy."

Aizen watched her, his eyes thoughtful, as if poring over what she had just said.

"Ikkaku loves me," she continued. "There is no questioning that. He's never tried to change me, never tried to push me into something that only he wanted. I love him back with everything I have, and I would follow him into the very deepest hell, but he is not _running my life_. All of my choices are my own. It offends me that you would even _suggest_ such a thing."

"I see," Aizen said slowly. "That was quite an eloquent speech. I could tell that you were speaking from the very depths of your heart."

"I was. But what do _you_ care about my happiness, anyway?"

"I _don't_ care about your happiness," Aizen confirmed. "I wanted to see how solid your convictions are regarding your choices in life." He sat back. "You're a smart woman, Yumichika. Your head and your heart are in the right place. I see you will be a tough one to crack." He took another sip of tea. "But I have ways to make you see my side of things."

Yumichika tensed. He was talking about Ikkaku. If she didn't comply with his demands, then Ikkaku would be punished. Her hate welled up inside of her again.

Aizen, however, didn't elaborate. Instead, he went right back to recalling his first impressions of Yumichika. "I'll admit that I was disappointed when I learned about Madarame, and how devoted you are to each other. I had been very much interested in courting you myself, and maybe even bringing you into the Fifth Division. I'd be able to see you whenever I wanted, then."

She shuddered at the thought of being in a relationship with him. True, he was strikingly handsome, but there was nothing else to interest her. He was not Ikkaku. He was nothing like the man she had fallen for, and even before Aizen's betrayal, she had seen little in him to attract her attention. Now, after his betrayal, the very idea of being _involved_ with him repulsed her, made her feel sick to her stomach.

"I could never have put you in Hinamori's place," he continued. "You're far too shrewd for that. I needed a vice-captain who was easily influenced, and Hinamori was a puppet just waiting for me to pull her strings."

"You bastard!" Yumichika hissed. "Did you know she's still alive? Did you know she still believes in you? She thinks Ichimaru tricked you, that _he's_ the one behind everything that's happened!"

"Ah, Gin," Aizen nodded. "Yes, I wanted him to come across as the 'bad guy' for a while, and he quite readily agreed. Diversion is the better part of deception, and he played his part wonderfully. I daresay the fox in him was delighted with the trickery." He meshed his fingers together in front of his face. "So, she's still alive, hm? How fortunate for her."

"Don't count on it," Yumichika muttered. "She's as far under your spell now as she ever was, and now people are calling her a lunatic for keeping her faith in you. I can't say I call that _fortunate_."

Aizen ignored her remark, instead reaching across the table to touch her hair. "You know, I was also disappointed when you decided to cut your hair. I liked it so much better long. You have no idea how much I wanted to run my fingers through it."

"Stop it!" Yumichika snapped, jerking out of his reach. "Is that all you brought me here for, to tell me how _attracted_ you are to me?! I'd prefer an interrogation!"

Aizen grinned, pulling his hand back. "You usually _crave_ such praise. Do I really repel you so much?"

"You make me _sick_!" she spat, eyes narrowed.

He laughed, and then without warning, he reached back across the table and grabbed her by the hair, yanking her forward so their faces were mere inches apart. "Just keep in mind, little shinigami," he said, his voice dangerous, "that _I_ have control of you now. You will do _what_ I say, _when_ I say it."

She reacted without thinking. She struck him across the face. Hard.

Pain exploded below her ribs, and she gave a shriek, trying to pull away. Aizen had jabbed two fingers into the monstrous bruise on her belly, tightening his grip on her hair at the same time to keep her from retreating. Then he shoved her away from him, knocking her back into her chair so hard that it tipped over backwards, depositing her gracelessly onto the floor. There she curled in on herself, shaking and breathing rapidly, tears glistening in her eyes from the sudden pain.

Aizen stood. "I can see that this conversation is over." He walked to the door, his footsteps hard on the bare floor, and opened it.

Halibel was standing against the wall across from him out in the hallway, but she was alone this time. She had apparently sent the other three women on their way.

"Return our guest to her room," Aizen said shortly.

Halibel nodded, not saying a word. She marched over to Yumichika, who had pushed herself up into a sitting position. She gripped Yumichika under the arms and hauled her to her feet, propelling her out the door without even waiting for her to find her balance. She half dragged, half carried the shinigami away, little caring if Yumichika was having an easy time of walking or not.

Aizen watched them go, then turned and reentered the room. The door closed behind him, the latch clicking loudly.

The hallway was silent once again.

* * *

><p>Ikkaku looked up at the sound of the door opening. He was sitting on the bed, his back against the wall. His knees were drawn up in front of him, his arms resting across them.<p>

Yumichika was shoved carelessly into the tiny room, falling to her hands and knees with an indignant cry.

The door slammed shut, locking them inside once again.

"Yumichika!" Ikkaku jumped up from the bed, surprised to see her back so soon.

Yumichika wobbled up to her feet, her hands over her eyes, trying to dispel the dizziness. Halibel's rough handling of her hadn't even let her stand up on her own, and the abrupt stop had left her disoriented. Balance was suddenly not a problem, though, as she found herself with Ikkaku to lean on, his arms wound tightly around her.

Ikkaku let out his breath as if he had been holding it for an hour. "I thought you'd be gone so much longer!"

She returned his embrace, glad for something familiar and trusted. Her encounter with Aizen had left her mind in a whirl, so many different emotions all clamoring for dominance in her mind.

After a long moment, he stepped back and took her by the shoulders, looking intently into her face. "What happened? What did he do to you? Did he hurt you?"

"N-no," she replied, shaking her head briefly in an attempt to clear it. "He didn't hurt me. Not much." She unconsciously put a hand over her upper belly, where the bruise still throbbed dully. She slowly walked over to the bed and sat down.

"So…what happened?" he asked again. She looked okay at first glance, but he wondered at the troubled look in her eyes. He sat down beside her, watching her carefully.

"Not…not much," Yumichika told him. "It was like the espada said. He just…wanted to talk. Or, at least, that's what it felt like. Nothing like the interrogation I was expecting."

Ikkaku frowned, perplexed. "What did you talk about?"

Yumichika looked down, her hands curling into fists in her lap. "He tried to make me doubt you. He tried telling me that I was sacrificing my own happiness to be with you, and that you were just letting me do it, like you didn't even care." Tears gathered in her eyes again, but this time they were out of anger rather than pain.

Ikkaku gave a low growl. "I would _never_…"

"I know," Yumichika nodded, wiping away the tears before they could fall. "I didn't believe him. Not for a moment."

"Is…is that all?"

"No, he…he also had to tell me just how lovely he thinks I am. Multiple times."

Ikkaku almost smiled at that one. "Well…_that's_ not a lie."

"Of course it's not a lie!" Yumichika snapped. "I know how beautiful I am! But to hear it from _him_…! _Ugh_, he makes me want to puke my guts out!"

Ikkaku _did_ smile this time, and even laughed.

"Seriously, though," Yumichika said, visibly sulking. "He's been watching me almost since we became shinigami. It's like he's been _stalking_ me."

Ikkaku's smile promptly disappeared. "Oh, really?"

"He said that…if you weren't in my life, he would have…have _courted_ me himself. He even would have tried to get me to transfer to his division."

Her lover narrowed his eyes, clearly unhappy. "That serious, huh? That worries me, Yumichika."

"I-I know," she nodded, her voice shaky. "What if he…I won't be able to defend myself if he…"

"Don't say it, Yumi," Ikkaku cut her off. "Just…don't. I don't even want to think about that."

Yumichika swallowed the lump in her throat, nodding again.

Ikkaku put his arm around her, pulling her close. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he laid his cheek against her hair. The nagging fear he had felt since coming here, that Aizen wanted more from Yumichika than some nonexistent power, had bloomed painfully in his guts as she had described the traitor's words to her.

It would be too much, too cruel. He would rather die a thousand gruesome deaths than see that happen to her.

He felt so helpless. He _hated_ feeling helpless.

**To be continued…**

**ATTENTION ALL READERS:** Please go to YouTube and look up "crisis core price of freedom" to hear the music that inspired the title of this story. It's one of my favorite pieces from the _Crisis Core_ soundtrack. It makes me want to cry. If you've played the game, you should know why.

Don't have much else to say, except please leave a review. I'd love to hear how you guys think I'm doing with this.

See you all next time!

P.S. The Sun Goddess that Aizen refers to is Amaterasu-oomikami. She is the principal deity in the Shinto religion.


	7. Riverside

**Author's Notes:** See chapter one for disclaimer.

Thanks a bunch to Psycho-Neurotically Disturbed, lelann37, and The Kujaku for reading and reviewing chapter six!

I want to acknowledge another error. In chapter five, during the captains' meeting, I gave a wrong figure for the number of captains present. I totally forgot to account for Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tousen being absent. *headdesk* I just felt stupid when I realized the mistake.

Translation note: A furisode is a type of kimono with long, hanging sleeves. It's worn by young unmarried women and maiko (apprentice geisha).

**The Price of Freedom  
><strong>By Annie-chan  
><strong>Chapter Seven: Riverside<strong>

_It was such a beautiful evening. Ikkaku took another drink from the jug he was holding, feeling the familiar burn as sake ran down his throat, a warm feeling pooling in his insides._

_Around him, a spring festival was in full swing. Soon after arriving in this large town about a week ago, he and Yumichika had caught wind of the upcoming celebration, timed to coincide with the blossoming of the surrounding orchards. Yumichika had insisted that they attend, her eyes lighting up at the prospect._

Never misses an opportunity to show herself off_, Ikkaku thought, mentally scoffing. His companion had, indeed, dressed herself up for the occasion. She was wearing a furisode of dark blue silk with white pear blossoms splashed across the fabric. Her obi was peach-colored with green and yellow accents, a black braided cord tied around it. A piece of opal jewelry shaped like the eye of a peacock feather was strung onto the cord, the iridescent stone throwing off a rainbow of colors with every move she made. Her hair was long and loose, pink and white flowers woven into the glossy black strands. Her lips were painted a royal shade of red, her wisteria eyes bordered with eyeliner the darkest shade of black and highlighted with blue and gold shadow._

_By all accounts, she was absolutely stunning in the moonlight, the paper lanterns casting their warm glow upon her from the tree branches._

_Ikkaku was dressed in a simple dark grey woolen kosode that stopped at his knees and elbows. While Yumichika was positively a clotheshorse, Ikkaku had a much more ascetic taste in clothing. That and his shaved head had people occasionally mistaking him for a monk, to Yumichika's endless amusement. Not so much to Ikkaku's, though._

_Yumichika, as she had hoped, had turned quite a few heads at the festival, including not a few young men eager to get to know the gorgeous stranger in their midst. She had soaked up the attention like a sponge, flirting coyly with those she deemed attractive. If one of them tried getting too familiar, however, she firmly rebuffed him, leaving the foolhardy youth to stare longingly after her. She knew who she was going to bed with tonight, and it wasn't any of her would-be suitors._

Little tease_, Ikkaku thought, the corners of his mouth quirking upwards._

_He took another drink, his eyes closing as his mind filled with thoughts of her. For two years, she had been his traveling companion, and for only slightly less time than that, she had been his lover. And, oh, what a lover! Never before had he experienced such a passionate connection with anyone. She was confident and skilled, not afraid to take the initiative in their lovemaking. She knew how to please a man. Her sexual assertiveness brought out his carnal urges to their fullest, and he made damned sure he gave as good as he got. Pleasuring her to his utmost ability only increased his own enjoyment of their encounters. She had told him, more than once, that he made her body sing like no one else ever had._

_Never before had he carried on a relationship for so long, either. Being a wanderer for most of his adult life, he had had few opportunities to engage in anything but brief affairs and one-night stands. It hadn't really mattered to him. He had never had any romantic notions regarding sex, after all. It was merely a form of release. You didn't have to particularly care about the person you were doing it with. Yumichika being a drifter as well, however, made things considerably different. She was not tied down to a single location, unable and unwilling to uproot her whole life just to follow him, as most of his previous partners had been. She happily accompanied him in his travels, sometimes leading and sometimes following. Her already itinerant lifestyle kept her in his company for much longer than was normal for him. He was far from complaining, however._

She's everything I desire in a woman_, he thought, watching people dance in the town square. Not only was she beautiful and sexually assured, she was also highly skilled with a sword, and smart as a whip, too. She never hid behind Ikkaku in either a physical or verbal confrontation, and he found that unbelievably arousing. He hadn't expected to be so attracted to such an independent woman, though he couldn't say he was all that surprised, either. Someone who needed protecting all the time would only be an irritating burden. Weak people, whether male or female, were not worth his time or effort. Perhaps that's why he had never sought emotional connections in his sexual relationships. He always knew that he would be moving on before long, and would probably never see the woman again. There were no strings attached, no responsibilities to take on._

_Now, he found himself _wanting_ to protect someone for once. Even though she was fully capable of taking care of herself—perhaps _because_ she was fully capable of taking care of herself—he knew he would drop everything to come to her aid if she needed it. Occasionally, he had defended her from some lout who wanted to bed her, acting every bit the jealous, protective lover. Though he knew she was able to deflect the man's advances herself, he had stepped in and chased away the interloper for her. In those instances, Yumichika had thanked him prettily, playing along and becoming the demure maiden whose honor had just been preserved. He supposed she appreciated the show of protectiveness rather than found it presumptuous, as he had no doubt that she would make it very clear if she was bothered by his behavior._

_Ikkaku stood with his back against a tree, his arms loosely crossed, the sake jug in his right hand. He was at the edge of a large plaza in the center of town, watching people dance to the lively music that filled the air. Yumichika had eagerly joined the dancers, though Ikkaku had resisted her pleas to do so with her. Dancing just wasn't his thing. He wasn't good at it, and refused to make himself look foolish in the attempt. Yumichika had given him an exasperated sigh, then left him to his sake and threw herself into the fray. He had kept his eyes on her ever since. Sometimes he lost sight of her, but he always managed to find her again after a few minutes. She really did look like she was having fun, and for that he was glad._

_He looked down at the jug in his hand. Normally, he would have drained it by now and procured at least one more, barreling his way towards drunkenness like so many other festival-goers were. Something was tempering his thirst this time, however. He wanted a relatively clear head tonight, and so was consciously curbing his alcohol intake. He didn't want to be completely sober, either, as what he planned on doing required a little bit of liquid courage. Right now, he was feeling pleasantly buzzed, which was precisely what he was aiming for._

_Just then, Yumichika came bursting out of the crowd, bounding up to him, her face flushed as she laughed giddily._

_"Ikkaku!" she cried, out of breath, "you have no idea what fun you're missing!"_

_"Oh, I'm sure I do," Ikkaku said in a monotone, though he smiled as he said it, taking in her appearance. Her clothes were slightly askew from the vigorous dancing, and her hair had lost a few flowers along the way. She was still as beautiful as ever, though, positively radiant with energy. Her skin was glistening with sweat, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath._

_She looked absolutely delicious._

_"All this dancing's made me thirsty," she said, taking the jug from Ikkaku. She brought the hollowed-out gourd to her lips, taking a long draught, her eyes closing as she did so. She let out her breath loudly as she finished, her cheeks turning pink. "This is good stuff."_

_"Yeah, it is," Ikkaku nodded, taking the jug back._

_"I wish you would come dancing with me, Ikkaku," she moaned, taking his hand. "We'd have so much fun together."_

_"_You'd_ have fun," Ikkaku corrected. "I'm not a dancer, Yumichika, and I'm not even going to try to be. You'd laugh at me if you saw."_

_"Oh, Ikkaku, I laugh at you plenty anyway," she huffed, placing her hands on her hips, pretending to be impatient. "What's one more reason to?"_

_Ikkaku frowned, irked. "Little bitch."_

_Yumichika laughed, enjoying their banter. She then snatched the sake jug again, taking another drink. Handing it back to Ikkaku, she began to turn away. "I'm going to dance some more."_

_"Wait a minute," Ikkaku said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back._

_Yumichika squeaked in surprise, stumbling a little bit. "What?" she asked, annoyance in her tone. She gave Ikkaku a mild glare._

_"Why don't we…take a walk?" Ikkaku suggested, his grip moving from her wrist to her hand._

_Yumichika's expression changed to one of bewilderment. That was an odd thing for him to suggest. Ikkaku wasn't the kind of person who enjoyed walks for their own sake._

_"Let's go down by the river," Ikkaku continued. "The locals tell me the fireflies are a pretty impressive sight this time of year."_

_"Okay," Yumichika said. The promise of a firefly display intrigued her, though she still thought Ikkaku was acting a little strange. She was always the one who suggested they enjoy beautiful sights, not him._

_They left the plaza, Ikkaku leading, going in the direction he had been told the river was in. The festival spread out through a good portion of the town, so it was slow going at first, the two of them having to weave their way through the throngs of merrymakers. Occasionally Yumichika pulled Ikkaku over to some booth or another to admire the seller's wares, or to watch street performers ply their trade. They gradually made their way to the south edge of town, leaving the festival and its associated lights and noises behind them._

_The river was about a quarter mile outside of town. A fairly straight path went toward it with fences on either side, an apple orchard to the left and a plum orchard to the right. Tree fruits were the town's biggest commodity, though handicrafts made up a sizeable chunk of the economy, too. It was a thriving settlement, the fertile lands surrounding it giving the inhabitants a generous income. The extravagance of the spring festival was an example of the town's wealth._

_The moon hung in the clear sky above them, shining brightly. In just a few nights, it would be waxed full._

_"It's such a lovely night," Yumichika commented, breathing in the cool air. The scent of apple and plum blossoms filled her nose._

_"It is," Ikkaku agreed, nodding subtly._

_Several minutes later, they came to the edge of the cultivated land. There stood the river before them, a wide grassy strip between them and the slow-moving water. Hundreds of points of light hovered throughout the grass, fireflies drifting slowly among the long blades._

_"It _is_ pretty," Yumichika smiled. She let go of Ikkaku's hand and headed toward the river._

_Ikkaku followed._

_"It's so wide," Yumichika commented as she neared the water. Indeed, one couldn't see the other side in the dark. It was visible in the daytime, though being almost a mile distant, not many details were apparent. Those with sharp eyes could discern the edge of a forest springing up not far from shore._

_"You act like you've never seen a river before," Ikkaku smirked, coming up beside her._

_"Oh, stop," she pouted. "Can't a girl indulge in a little wonder once in a while?"_

_"I suppose," Ikkaku shrugged. "You're far from unworldly, though, Yumichika. It sounds odd coming from you."_

_Yumichika sighed. "Spoilsport."_

_He chuckled._

_"Thank you for bringing me out here," she said after a few moments. "It's beautiful, like you said."_

_Silence descended upon them. Ikkaku stared out over the moonlit water, absently tilting the sake jug back and forth. The liquid inside sloshed gently._

_Finally, he sighed through his nose and brought the jug to his lips, taking one last drink before setting it down in the grass. "There's something I've had on my mind lately. I think…you need to know about it."_

_"And what's that?" she asked, looking over at him, her eyebrows raised slightly in curiosity._

_Ikkaku turned to face her. "It's been a little over two years since we met. I don't think a day has gone by since then that we haven't been together."_

_"Nope," Yumichika grinned. "We've been together every damned day since then."_

_He smiled faintly at her flippancy. "Every day. And we've shared a bed almost since we met."_

_"And you are an _excellent_ lover, dear Ikkaku," she purred, injecting a noticeable sensuousness into her words. "I am _so_ glad I crawled into bed with you in that little shack by the lake."_

_Ikkaku felt a rush of pride at her praise, as well as one of arousal. It had indeed been her who had initiated their first encounter while they were spending the night in an abandoned hut near a long, narrow lake. Though he had quickly taken control of the situation, she had been the one to slip into bed next to him and plant little teasing kisses over his neck and chest. If her sly flirting beforehand hadn't gotten her desire across, this bold move certainly had. He had thoroughly ravished her that night, reveling in her ecstatic cries. They had been lovers ever since._

_"Thanks," he coughed, clearing his throat._

_"Anytime," she beamed. "So, what is it that's preoccupied that bloodthirsty head of yours?"_

_Ikkaku didn't immediately answer. He stared at her instead, his eyes moving over her flawless face, taking in every beautiful detail. She was gorgeous, and the scintillating moonlight only added to her allure._

_"I've…never told anyone this before," he said at last. "I've never _wanted_ to tell anyone this before."_

_She tilted her head, her eyebrows drawing down slightly, puzzled. "Ikkaku?"_

_There was no way to ease into it. The only feasible approach was to just come out and say it._

_"Yumichika," he said slowly. "I love you."_

_Dead silence. Yumichika seemed to freeze, as if even her breathing had abruptly ceased._

_She didn't respond right away, and when she did, it was by a gradual shifting of her facial expression. Ikkaku's stomach dropped when he realized that the color had drained from her face, her eyes widening as if in shock…or maybe even horror._

_"Yu…Yumichika…?" Ikkaku rasped. Though he hadn't known what to expect when he confessed his feelings, he hadn't thought it would induce a reaction akin to learning of a loved one's death._

_Yumichika suddenly sniffed, her lower lip trembling. Her eyes turned glassy, tears overflowing a moment later. She squeezed her eyes shut, her expression dissolving into one of anguish, and she brought a hand up to hide her dismay. She wrapped her other arm around herself, as if she were cold. A choked sob forced itself from her throat._

_Ikkaku said her name again, stepping toward her. She was indeed shivering, and he reached out to place a hand on her shoulder._

_"Don't _say_ that!" she burst out before he could touch her, her body vibrating with the force of her cry._

_He jerked his hand back as if burned. It felt like someone had just kicked him in the stomach. He should have known that admitting his feelings for her was a bad idea. He should have kept his damned mouth shut._

_But then, she spoke again, barely audible. "Don't…don't say that…if you don't mean it."_

_He felt a small surge of hope. Maybe he hadn't _totally_ screwed up after all._

_"I _do_ mean it," he insisted, trying to salvage the situation. "Yumichika…I wouldn't even _think_ of saying something like that if I didn't mean it."_

_Yumichika looked back up at him again. Her striking eyes were filled with uncertainty and…was that fear? Ikkaku's heart clenched. He had never before seen fear in those eyes._

_"You…you're telling the truth…?" she asked. Her voice was small, wavering._

_Ikkaku managed a crooked smile. "Have I ever lied to you before?"_

_She stared at him for a long moment before her hands came up to her face again. Her expression crumbled, a keening sound coming from her throat, her hands curling into fists._

_Ikkaku felt kicked in the gut again. Yumichika was crying. She trembled, painful sobs forcing their way from her throat. She was struggling to keep from losing control completely, tears flowing freely down her cheeks._

_He was dumbfounded. Words had completely failed him, and all he could think to do was take her shivering form into his arms, holding her in what he hoped was a comforting embrace. Relief flooded him as she leaned into him, crying into his shoulder. At least she wasn't resisting his attempts to console her._

_"Yumichika," he said after a moment, his voice unsteady, "what's wrong? Tell me, please." He slowly ran his hands up and down her back, hoping to soothe her._

_She didn't answer right away. It took a moment for her weeping to taper down. When she was able to speak again, she turned her head against his shoulder, her forehead now pressing against his neck. Her eye makeup was smudged and running, her cheeks red and streaked with tears._

_"I'm…I'm sorry…" she said quietly, her voice still shaking. "I shouldn't…shouldn't have gotten hysterical like that."_

_"It's okay," Ikkaku assured her. He gave her an encouraging squeeze. "But why…why did you react like that? Is the thought of me loving you really so horrifying?"_

_Yumichika swallowed. "I've been…I've been burned in the past…by people who said…said that they loved me." Her trembling got worse, her fingers clenching the fabric of his kosode._

_Ikkaku's eyes darkened. The thought of someone hurting Yumichika, especially someone who had declared love for her, made his blood boil._

_"It's…it's happened more than once," she continued, her eyes squeezing shut again. "Someone says they love me…makes me fall in love with them…but they only want to control me. To _own_ me! I'm just a pretty little prize for them to show off to the world!" Her pitch rose, tears sliding down her cheeks once more._

_Ikkaku clenched his teeth, tightening his hold on her. Yumichika was a strong woman, physically, mentally, and emotionally, but no amount of strength can prepare a person for the brutal blow of betrayed love. She had been deeply wounded by people she loved, and who claimed to love her back. The discovery that her feelings were not truly returned must have been devastating. Not only that, but she had been subjected to this cruelty more than once._

_He was getting the idea that love had become a painful and frightening thing for her._

_"When…when you said you loved me just now," she went on, "it was as if the world had dropped out from under my feet. All the memories came rushing up. I can't…I can't go _through_ that again!"_

_"You won't," Ikkaku said firmly. He gripped her shoulders and pushed her back so he could look into her eyes. "I could never…_will_ never be that cruel, Yumichika. Not to you. _Never_ to you."_

_She stared into his eyes, her own slightly widened. A glimmer of hope flashed through them as he spoke._

_"I could never lie about something this important," he continued. "I said I love you, and I mean it. My feelings for you aren't a sham, I swear it."_

_A smile started tugging at the corners of her trembling lips. "You're telling the truth," she said in a whisper, as if speaking to herself._

_Ikkaku merely nodded, his gaze locked on hers. There was nothing else he could say to get his point across._

_Yumichika's expression dissolved once more, this time into one of utter joy. She laughed brightly, throwing her arms around his neck, pulling him into a kiss that was all at once ecstatic, passionate, and heartfelt._

_He gave a quiet groan, returning the kiss with equal fervor. The first signs of arousal were curling through his insides. They had shared their bed and their bodies with each other countless times, but there was something different about it this time. Something indescribably good._

_When she pulled back, she touched her forehead to his, looking into his dark eyes. "I love you, Ikkaku," she said, breathless. "I've loved you for a long time, but I couldn't bring myself to say it. I couldn't…I _couldn't_ open myself up to pain again. It was cowardly, I know." She swallowed. "Please, forgive me…"_

_"There's nothing to forgive," he said just as quietly, emotion constricting his voice. Elation swelled within him at her words. She loved him back. It was the sweetest thing he had ever heard, and more than he had ever dared to hope for. He held her as tightly as he dared, breath quickened in excitement of both an emotional and a physical nature. He realized that he was trembling. The tremor was too subtle to be seen, but he was sure that Yumichika could feel it._

_As if reading his thoughts, Yumichika reached up and gently laid a hand against his cheek. "You're shaking," she said softly._

_Ikkaku covered her hand with his, turning his head to place a kiss against her palm. "That's because I've never been as happy as I am now." He held her gaze, watching the different emotions swirl in the depths of her eyes. She had _such_ beautiful eyes._

_He touched their lips together, kissing her again. It was softer than the one before, slower, but with no less adoration and love. He felt her arms wind around his neck again, her body pressing against his, slowly rolling her hips forward to indicate her desire for him. After a moment of gentle kissing and caressing, her hands slid back over his shoulders, down his chest, and to the white sash at his waist. She deftly untied it, dropping it to the ground and pushing his kosode open._

_"You're eager tonight," he grinned, reaching around her to tug at the knot of her obi. He said it simply to tease._

_"No more than I always am," she said, smiling back. She slipped the kosode off his shoulders, letting it drop to the ground. Without missing a beat, she unwound the fundoshi from his hips with practiced ease. That, also, fluttered down to the grass, forgotten._

_He stood nude before her, flushed and aroused, and she let out a sigh of appreciation. Oh, his body was _glorious_. Just looking at him naked was enough to send a rush of warmth to her lower belly._

_Ikkaku wasted no time in working the knot of her obi loose. He gripped one end of it and pulled, making her turn as the obi began unwinding from her lean waist. She stepped back away from him, twirling to assist him in relieving her of the wide sash, laughing as she did so._

_As soon as she was free, she shrugged the furisode off, letting the lush fabric slide down her body and to the ground, stepping back toward Ikkaku at the same time. With his help, she made quick work of her undergarments, and was soon just as naked as he was, the moonlight illuminating her smooth skin._

_They were back in each other's arms in a heartbeat, Ikkaku nearly lifting her off the ground as he bit at her shoulder, feeling her squirm against him. She inhaled sharply at the sensation, arms wrapping around his neck once more. The cool spring night had suddenly turned unbearably warm._

_They tumbled down to the ground, moans and gasps and sighs escaping their lips as they kissed and bit and licked at each other. Hands groped and squeezed, bodies grinding and sliding together. The sake jug had been knocked over by their rough play, its contents spilling into the grass. If either of them noticed, neither of them cared. They kept rolling over, constantly switching who was on top, both of them vying for control of their lovemaking._

_It was a contest of wills, a game to see who could get the other to submit to them first. Such play-fighting often preceded their couplings, and the outcome was almost impossible to predict._

_Ikkaku finally rolled over onto his back, bringing Yumichika over on top of him, and sat up. Yumichika eeped in surprise, clasping her hands behind his neck to keep from falling backward. She wouldn't have, though, as his arms were around her, his palms pressed flat against the small of her back. He pulled her flush against him, his throbbing arousal trapped between their bellies._

_"Someone could come along any minute and see us," Yumichika said, reminding him that they were out in the open. There was no urgency in her voice, only desire._

_"So, let them see," Ikkaku replied. "Let them see how beautiful you are when you're overcome with pleasure." He grasped her firmly by the waist, lifting her up and over his straining erection. In one swift movement, he jerked her back down into his lap, impaling her completely._

_She shuddered, arching against him, crying out loudly as she was utterly filled. She felt him groan against her shoulder, his arms wrapping around her and nearly crushing her against him. Her head fell back, the starry sky filling her vision as she desperately tried to catch her breath._

_Just before he began thrusting into her, Ikkaku heard one whispered word drop from her kiss-moistened lips._

_"Heaven…"_

* * *

><p>Ikkaku awoke easily, breathing in deeply through his nose as consciousness returned, opening his eyes as he breathed out again. He found himself staring at the featureless ceiling of the little room he and Yumichika had been locked in.<p>

He yawned, reflexively bringing a hand up to his face as his eyes squeezed shut. When he could, he turned his head to the right.

Yumichika was lying beside him, asleep. She was on her left side, some of her hair falling across her face. She was so close, she was almost touching him. The bed was small enough that they had to lie close to keep from falling off. They usually slept very close to each other, however, so this was far from unusual for them.

Ikkaku looked back up at the ceiling. It struck him as a little odd. First Yumichika dreamed of the past, and now he just had, too. Coincidence, perhaps?

_Maybe because we know our days might be numbered_, he thought. _Our brains would rather take refuge in the past than face the present._

He sat up, then carefully climbed over Yumichika to get out of bed. She stirred and made a small sound, but did not wake. He gently rubbed at her shoulder, then went into the tiny bathroom to relieve himself.

Coming out again a moment later, he sat down on the mattress near Yumichika's feet. He gazed at her for several minutes. She was turned toward the wall, so he couldn't see her face. Instead, his eyes ran up and down the lines of her body, the dips and curves that made up her feminine form. They had been together for decades now, and were an irreplaceable part of each other's lives.

Ikkaku had a gnawing feeling that they were soon to be ripped apart. By death or by distance, an impassable chasm was about to open up between them.

Oh, how he hoped this feeling of his was wrong…

He propped his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together as if in prayer, leaning his forehead against them. Whether actually praying or just immersed in his thoughts, he stayed like that, motionless, for quite some time.

It was a long while before he was able to go back to sleep.

**To be continued…**

**Author's Notes:** I sincerely hope this chapter isn't too sappy or sugarcoated. I want Yumichika and Ikkaku's relationship to be deeply emotional, and yet realistic. And also that Yumichika is an equal partner in the relationship, not Ikkaku's property or some weak thing that he has to protect. Their love is based on respect and genuine affection, not the stereotypical schmaltz you find in romance novels. If they're not coming across as I hope they are, then I'm disappointed in myself.

Please leave a review, as always.

Ja mata ne~!


	8. Surveillance

**Author's Notes:** See chapter one for disclaimer.

Many thanks to crazy purple ninja, BlackKnight772, and The Kujaku for reading and reviewing chapter seven! Once again, I apologize for the long wait between chapters.

**The Price of Freedom  
><strong>By Annie-chan  
><strong>Chapter Eight: Surveillance<strong>

Yumichika sat at a square table in a small room. The room was absolutely bare, the walls, ceiling, and floor a bleak, featureless white. There were two doors, the one she came in and another one across from where she sat. The table was of the simplest design, a slab of wood on four straight legs. There were no windows, and she could hear no sound in any direction, wrapping her in total silence.

It was an interrogation room. This was what she had expected the first time Aizen had called for her. It seemed he wasn't going to bother with trying to throw her off guard this time, as he had before with the sitting room and the tea and the false pleasantries. Yumichika wasn't sure if she should be relieved or apprehensive.

She had been sitting in her chair for quite some time now, though she had no way of telling exactly how long. It was a common interrogation tactic. A person was made to wait alone for a long time with no way of telling how long it had been or when the waiting would end. It made people nervous, and unhinging a person's sense of security was one of the interrogator's goals, potentially wearing thin their captor's resistance to questioning.

Yumichika was determined not to let the waiting get to her. If Aizen was trying to weaken her resolve, she would make damn sure that he failed.

She stared at the tabletop, mentally going over all the possible questions she could think of that Aizen might ask. There wasn't much she could say to any of them. This frustrated her. Her only feasible option was to refuse to answer, and there wasn't any guarantee that would last her very long. Aizen could very easily switch to more physical, psychological, or even chemical tactics if he was dissatisfied with her silence. She would hardly be surprised if it turned out that the pink-haired espada—what was his name?—had some kind of truth serum bubbling away on one of the many tables in his lab. And there was always the threat of Aizen turning his attentions to Ikkaku if he chose, punishing her lover for her failure to cooperate.

_Answer questions with questions_, a voice said unexpectedly, filling her head so suddenly that it startled her.

_What?_ she asked, turning her attention inward.

_Answer questions with questions_, the voice said again. _Aizen Sousuke likes a good game. If you can convince him that you're entertaining to argue with, it may reduce the risk that he'll turn to more forceful methods to get you to talk._ The voice paused. _And it may also lessen Madarame's chances of being hurt._

Yumichika considered this advice. Yes, perhaps it would work. If she simply sat there and refused to cooperate, Aizen would likely increase the pressure quickly and cruelly. But if she could present herself as a personal challenge to him, then he would be more likely to try to crack her resolve himself, rather than resorting to more forceful means. He would find it more amusing to overcome her by his own manipulations than by simple duress.

There was also the fact that there were some things she herself wanted to know.

_Thank you_, she said inwardly.

The voice didn't respond verbally, though she had the impression that the owner nodded, acknowledging her thanks.

It was at that moment that the door across from her opened.

Yumichika tensed, though she did not look up. The door closed again, and though her reiatsu was sealed, she could feel the presence of another person in the room. She knew who it was. There was no one else it could be.

The chair opposite her was pulled out from the table, and as the other person sat down, the sound of something being set on the table reached her ears. Something heavy, made of both wood and metal. Her head snapped up, eyes landing squarely on the object her captor had brought with him.

Her sword. There lay Ruriiro Kujaku, only an arm's length away from her. She had the sudden urge to leap up and take back what was hers, but she restrained herself. There was no way she would get away with it.

Aizen put one hand on the scabbard and drew the sword with the other, the blade gleaming in the bare light. He looked at it for a moment, turning the sword so he could see it at different angles, then ran his hand down the flat of the blade.

"A beautiful sword," he said, his voice seeming loud in the little room. "Nice clean lines, perfect shape and balance, and not one single notch or scratch to be seen." He resheathed the sword. "A lovely weapon for a lovely woman."

"Spare me the compliments," she muttered, scowling slightly.

Aizen smiled. "Still irritable, are we?"

"Like I could be anything else," Yumichika snapped.

"No, I suppose not," Aizen shrugged. He ran his hand along the scabbard, admiring the lacquered wood. "Did you choose this color yourself, or did it manifest this way? I like it. It's feminine, but strong. Not too girly."

Yumichika folded her arms, not answering. Instead, she glared at her captor, wishing that it were possible to kill someone with a look.

"How do you know about my power?" she finally asked, making sure she made direct eye contact. "_No one_ knows about my power! I've made _sure_ of it!"

"No one except Hisagi Shuuhei," Aizen replied, holding her gaze.

Yumichika stopped in her tracks. So, her earlier suspicions were correct. Someone _had_ seen her fight with Hisagi on the rooftops.

"Ichimaru and Tousen aren't the only ones I've recruited for my cause," Aizen continued. "I had spies spread throughout Seireitei to make sure my plans were coming off without a hitch—"

_"Spies!"_ Yumichika interrupted. She should have known. "Members of your own division, perhaps? The Third and the Ninth, too? Or have you infiltrated the other divisions as well?" If Aizen still had spies in Seireitei, then the situation was much graver than anyone realized.

"Now, now," Aizen said, holding up a hand as if to physically halt her. "I never said they were shinigami. You'll recall that, despite how barren the city seems, it houses a surprising collection of wildlife. It was a simple thing to catch a few and turn them into hollows, then release them back into the general population. With their tiny reiatsu signatures, no one would even notice."

Yumichika's eyes widened. Birds. Rats. Mice. Spiders. Insects. There were perhaps tens of thousands of small creatures nesting in the rafters and running through the walls and crawlspaces, not to mention living in the gardens. It was like hiding a tree in the forest.

"They're spying for you now!" she burst out, her heart hammering in her chest.

"Unfortunately, no," Aizen corrected her. "It's too difficult to control them from here, so I simply destroyed them when I no longer needed them."

Yumichika wasn't sure if she should believe him or not.

"As I was saying," he continued, "some of them witnessed your confrontation with Hisagi, and reported it back to me. I was instantly intrigued. I had already assessed you as a formidable opponent—though not for me, of course—but to find out you were hiding such an overwhelming power from everyone! I had to know more." He smiled at her again, though the expression was anything but amiable. "I had to have that power for myself."

"You'll never have it," Yumichika growled, her tone leaving no room for argument. "I'll die before I serve you."

"I knew you'd say that," Aizen said, not a drop of disappointment in his voice. "Your willingness in the matter is of little importance to me, however. I will have that power to command, whether you want me to or not."

Yumichika nearly choked in disbelief. He was planning on taking control of her zanpakutou away from her? That was by its very nature impossible. A zanpakutou was inextricably bound to its master's soul; some even believe that it is _part_ of its master's soul. There was no way to control or even influence a zanpakutou's actions without the consent of its owner, and even if there was, no zanpakutou would suffer such a disgrace. Especially not one with such overwhelming pride as hers.

"You're insane!" she cried after a moment of stunned silence. "What you mean to do is impossible! _Impossible!_ There's no _way_ to wrench control of a zanpakutou away from its master! There's just _no way!_"

"I knew you'd say that, too," Aizen said with a grin. "Believe me, my dear, I will find a way. If you will not deign to serve me, then I will take what I want by force."

"But there's _no way_ to be found!" Yumichika almost screamed. Her already dismal view of Aizen's sanity was rapidly dropping further, and the lower it got, the higher her apprehension climbed. She had already known he had a distorted view of the world and his own place in it, but this…_this!_ He'd have to be utterly _mad_ to think he could do this! Not only had her fear for her own safety and Ikkaku's shot skyward, but now she feared for all of Soul Society. There was no telling what this lunatic was willing to do to become a god and subjugate all to his will.

And what awful things would he do to her—and Ikkaku—to seize control of Ruriiro Kujaku? The possibilities made her shudder.

In the back of her mind, she could feel her zanpakutou seething. He was furious. The only thing keeping him from manifesting in the outside world and murdering Aizen was the block on Yumichika's reiatsu. A shinigami needed reiatsu to release their zanpakutou, and as Yumichika's reiatsu was sealed, he had nothing to draw upon to release himself. He shrieked in frustration, the shrill sound making Yumichika wince.

"We'll see about that," Aizen countered. "Now, we can start by you telling me your zanpakutou's real name."

Yumichika blinked, and she felt her zanpakutou's wrath subside in surprise. Aizen knew about her secret power, yet didn't know Ruriiro Kujaku's true name?

She immediately went on the offensive. "What, your little spies weren't competent enough to provide you even _that?_"

"None who witnessed your display were close enough to hear what you called it," Aizen explained, undisturbed by her snipe. "In fact, more than one told me that you didn't use an incantation at all."

He was right, Yumichika realized. While facing Hisagi, unwilling to accept defeat, she had let her zanpakutou come out completely, bearing down on the surprised vice captain with all its strength. The peacock had been so eager to spread his wings that she hadn't needed to speak the command that let him loose. Her mental beckoning had been enough.

She folded her arms defiantly. "Like I would just tell you," she said scornfully. Inwardly, she was nervous that her intention to make Aizen see her as amusing to banter with was losing ground. The direction the conversation had taken gave her little opportunity to "answer questions with questions." She had lost control of the situation early on, and couldn't find a way to get it back. Then again, had she _ever_ had control of the situation?

Aizen sighed. "I figured as much. It was foolish of me to expect you to give me your zanpakutou's real name without a fight." He stood. "I guess that means our conversation is over for now."

Yumichika stared at him, confused. Had he really decided to cut their encounter so short? Before she could say or do anything, however, he came around the table and gripped her upper arm, jerking her to her feet so harshly that her chair tipped over backwards with a clatter.

"You're off the hook for now, little shinigami," he said, his face very close to hers. His other hand took a firm hold of the back of her neck, keeping her from moving away. "But I advise you not to forget who is in charge here."

She had the sudden, crazy notion of kneeing him hard in the groin. It took a considerable amount of effort to keep herself from doing just that. It might give her a few seconds' satisfaction, but it was sure to turn bad for her once Aizen recovered.

Aizen watched the emotions flash through her eyes for a moment, then leaned back, seemingly satisfied. With what, Yumichika had no idea.

"We'll continue this some other time," he said, letting go of her. He retrieved her sword from the table. "Perhaps you'll be more cooperative when we see each other next."

"Don't count on it," she sneered.

He gave her an enigmatic smile, then led her over to the door. Opening it, he propelled her at the arrancar that had brought her here. The Cuarta Espada hardly reacted to her colliding with him, merely taking hold of her arm to keep her from fleeing.

"Take her back to her room," Aizen said simply, then turned to go in the opposite direction down the hallway.

"Yes, Aizen-sama," Ulquiorra replied, pushing Yumichika in front of him back the way they had come.

"Oh." Aizen stopped and turned back around, calling after them. "And make sure they have a meal brought to them. It seems I'm not feeding them enough."

Despite her situation, Yumichika felt her cheeks redden. Had her stomach been growling the whole time? Loud enough for Aizen to notice? How embarrassing…

* * *

><p>"Ah, there you are, Sousuke."<p>

Ichimaru Gin had his normal unreadable smile on his face as he stepped up beside his former captain. He had found the lord of Los Noches in one of its many surveillance rooms, sitting with a casual posture in front of a computer screen.

"Do you need me for something, Gin?" Aizen asked, not looking at the fox-eyed man.

"No," Ichimaru shrugged. "I was just wondering where you had run off to." He eyed the screen Aizen was watching so intently, curious about what was holding the man's attention.

It was the two prisoners in their cell. Ayasegawa Yumichika was sitting on the bed with her back against the wall, her knees drawn up in front of her with her wrists resting listlessly on top of them. Madarame Ikkaku was pacing back and forth, clearly agitated. There was no sound, so Ichimaru couldn't hear what he was saying, but it was clear that the man was upset about something.

"I never pegged you as a voyeur, Sousuke," Ichimaru said wryly. "Are you hoping they'll have sex?"

"Really, Gin," Aizen replied, giving him a sidelong look. "Have a little faith in me."

"Momo-chan put her faith in you," Ichimaru pointed out, still grinning, "and look where it got her."

"Point taken." Aizen finally looked away from the computer screen, turning the chair to face the silver fox. "Tell me, Gin, what do you think about Ayasegawa-goseki?"

"She's a skilled warrior," Ichimaru replied after thinking for a moment. "If she weren't so fixated on staying in the same division as Madarame, I daresay she would be at _least_ a vice captain by now."

"Is that all?" Aizen asked when Ichimaru stopped speaking.

"Well…she is very beautiful," Ichimaru said slowly, "but that goes without saying."

Aizen chuckled. "I knew you would hesitate to say that out loud. You'd hate for anyone to think you have eyes for someone other than your spunky little redhead."

Ichimaru gave a long-suffering sigh. "I've told you over and over, Sousuke. She was a friend, nothing more. She matters little to me now."

"Hm." Aizen watched the other man closely, Ichimaru returning his gaze with equal intent. When it was clear that Ichimaru wasn't intimidated in the slightest, Aizen turned back to the computer screen.

"You know, Gin," he said. "I had been planning for a while to bring Ayasegawa with us when we absconded."

"Oh?" Ichimaru's eyebrows rose in astonishment. "No, I hadn't known that."

"Ah, perhaps I forgot to mention it," Aizen shrugged. "But yes, I meant to bring her with us. I knew she would never join our cause; she's too dedicated to her lover and to her division to be brought into the fold." He laced his fingers together in front of his face. "As crass as it sounds, I had intended to simply kidnap her."

"But why didn't you?" Ichimaru asked. This revelation had completely surprised him. Aizen had never mentioned any of this before.

"When I heard about her dustup with Kaname's vice captain, I realized that she wouldn't be so easily taken against her will," Aizen explained. "Hisagi Shuuhei isn't exactly my equal, but she subdued him so quickly and so thoroughly. I didn't have time to deal with an unknown power like hers, so I put off bringing her to Hueco Mundo until I was further along in building my army."

"But why did you want to bring her?" Ichimaru queried. "You say you had been planning for a while to bring her with us, but you didn't learn of her secret until just a few hours before we left." He folded his arms. "There has to be some other reason why she figured into your plans."

"How astute of you, Gin," Aizen smiled, though there was no praise in his tone. "It's quite simple, really. Every king needs a queen."

"Queen?" Ichimaru repeated, his brows furrowing. Aizen thought he needed a queen? There was no way he wanted a co-ruler. That left the basic purpose that almost every queen in history was meant to fulfill. "You want her to bear your children."

"Exactly," Aizen nodded, pleased that Ichimaru understood so quickly. "She is powerful, intelligent, and strikingly beautiful. I can't think of a better woman to be the mother of my children." He faced Ichimaru again. "I don't intend to fail, but in the extremely unlikely instance that I am defeated, I need an heir to carry on my mission. Seireitei and its unseen king have outlived their purpose; a new world order must be established, with a new king in command."

"And that new king would be you," Ichimaru said flatly, with neither agreement nor condemnation. "You or one of your descendents."

Aizen nodded again. "You got it," he said.

"But why Ayasegawa?" Ichimaru asked. "There are plenty of powerful female shinigami, and more than a few are quite attractive."

"Don't be absurd, Gin," Aizen chided, giving him an appraising look. "I wouldn't dare go after a captain or vice captain. They would be far more trouble than they're worth. Kidnapping one of _them_ would only be seen as a deliberate provocation to war. Ayasegawa is the only one below that level with the power and beauty I require, and though I'm sure kidnapping her caused quite a stir, it hasn't brought the entire shinigami army thundering to my doorstep." He gave a crooked grin. "Though, I do agree with you that she could easily ascend to the level of vice captain, or even captain, if she so chose."

"I see," Ichimaru said, nodding slowly. "She has the power you want, but not so much as to be a threat."

"That is correct," Aizen confirmed. "Though I will admit that she caught my attention long before I decided I needed a queen. I'd have to be blind not to notice her. I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to get close to her, and when I decided I needed a means to an heir, I knew she was the only one who would suffice. What man _wouldn't_ want a prize like her at their side?"

"Very few, I'll give you that," Ichimaru replied, "but she will hardly be standing at your side, Sousuke. There's no way she would willingly go along with any of this. Even if Madarame weren't in the picture, she would never accept you as a mate. She hates you."

"I never said her willingness had any influence on the situation," Aizen said calmly, his gaze back on the computer screen. Ayasegawa had lain down on the bed, and Madarame was now sitting near her, his hand stroking her side. Her hand was on his knee, the two of them seemingly comforting each other.

Ichimaru had no response for that. His face had gone completely blank, though if he had been a less tactful person, his jaw perhaps would have dropped in shock. He knew full well that Aizen was capable of deception and murder, but it had never occurred to him that the ex-captain might be willing to resort to rape to get what he wanted. There was a certain baseness and vulgarity in the act that he had assumed was wholly below Aizen. Apparently his assumption was wrong.

"You disapprove," Aizen said at length.

Ichimaru dipped his head down. "There are things even I find repulsive," he said simply, his voice empty of emotion.

Aizen laughed. "Come off it, Gin. I never knew you were the squeamish type. Just be glad I'm not asking you to participate." He suddenly grinned, a glint in his eye. "Or perhaps what you find so repulsive is the thought of the same thing happening to your dear little—"

"I have _asked_ you to stop bringing her up," Ichimaru interrupted, his voice cold. There was a gleam underneath his wispy bangs, a sliver of icy blue shining through.

"So you have," Aizen conceded. He smiled again, enjoying getting a rise out of the normally impenetrable Ichimaru. "Fortunately, your approval or disapproval has no standing here. I will do with Ayasegawa as I please, and you are free to avert your eyes and pretend it's not happening. Or you can watch from one of these rooms. I honestly don't care."

Ichimaru said nothing. After a long stretch of silence, Aizen having gone back to watching his captives, he turned and headed for the door.

"I take my leave," he said shortly, his voice once again devoid of emotion.

"Take it," Aizen said dismissively. "I wouldn't be able to keep you here, anyway."

Unbeknownst to Aizen, Ichimaru gritted his teeth behind his closed lips, then exited the surveillance room. The door closed behind him, the _click_ of the latch unexpectedly loud in the surrounding quiet.

On the screen, the two shinigami had just received the meal Aizen had ordered for them, and were consuming the meager offering of rice and pickled vegetables mechanically, without even a hint of enjoyment.

* * *

><p>"Ken-chan!" Yachiru squealed as she hung on tightly to her captain's shoulder, bouncing slightly as he ran. "I thought you said we would wait to go after Neechan and Pachinko Head!"<p>

"I only said that because the old man was in earshot," Zaraki explained, not looking away from the path in front of him.

"Oh," was Yachiru's only reply. She was confused. The Soutaichou had ordered Ken-chan not to go off to Hueco Mundo by himself, but Ken-chan was intent on doing just that. She knew he had always been one to make his own rules, but Ken-chan had never openly defied the old man before. Fighting Tousen and Komamura shortly before Aizen's betrayal didn't really count, as the captain-commander hadn't actually told Ken-chan not to.

She was confused and just a little bit nervous.

Several minutes later, they reached their goal, the Kidou Corps compound. Kidou was far from Zaraki's favorite thing, and he despised the weaklings who depended on it, but they had no other choice than to come here. The Kidou Corps opened and closed the gateway between Soul Society and the other dimensions, including Hueco Mundo. Aizen and his arrancar chose to create their own gates, tearing huge gaping holes in the fabric of space and time, but such a power was not at Zaraki's disposal. If he wanted to get to Hueco Mundo and avenge the insult to his division, then he needed the Kidou Corps to open the way for him.

He made his way through the compound, garnering not a few curious stares, heading toward where he knew the gateway was. He had come here before on the few occasions he had needed passage to the living world, though he had made sure those occasions were seldom. The thought of accepting help from the _Kidou Corps_ of all groups disgusted him, and he did so only when he absolutely had to. This was one of those times when he absolutely had to. His need to confront Aizen was not to be ignored.

There it was. In a courtyard at the compound's center stood the gate, the requisite four guards standing around it, two flanking it and two in front of it. No one operated the gate except for authorized personnel at authorized times. Any attempts to do otherwise were not to be tolerated.

This did not deter Zaraki, as he marched straight toward the gate. If he had to force them to open it, he would.

"Zaraki-taichou," one of the guards called out as he came near, "I'm afraid I must ask you to leave. We were warned you may come here, and have been instructed to refuse any orders you attempt to give us."

"I don't care about that," Zaraki shot back, clearly annoyed. "Open the way to Hueco Mundo, and I won't hurt any of you."

"I will ask you again to leave," the guard said firmly, not intimidated.

"Are you deaf, man?!" Zaraki snarled, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "I said _open the gate!_"

"I will give you one last chance to vacate the premises," the guard said stonily, again unmoved by Zaraki's temper. "If I have to say it again, you will be escorted out of here."

"Ken-chan…" Yachiru said quietly, sounding worried. Other Kidou Corpsmen had come running into the courtyard though the doorway behind him, alerted by his yelling. There was now close to a dozen people surrounding him, no swords drawn yet but tensions running high.

"You guys must really want your guts splattered across this courtyard." Zaraki growled. "If you want it so badly, I'll be happy to oblige." With that, he drew his sword.

The Kidou Corpsmen immediately fell into fighting stances, some drawing their blades and others readying attack and defense spells. None of them were backing down, and this only made Zaraki grin madly in anticipation. This was going to be one interesting fight—

"Stand _down_, all of you!" a voice suddenly rang out, startling everyone into inaction. "That means _you too_, Zaraki!"

All eyes turned toward the courtyard's single door, where a petite woman had suddenly appeared.

"Sui Feng," Zaraki said, his eyes narrowing. What was _she_ doing here?

"Don't look so surprised to see me, Zaraki," she said, striding forward and planting herself firmly between him and the gateway. "Do you think you wouldn't be watched, after the way you behaved at the emergency meeting? We'd have to be stupid not to suspect you'd try pulling something like this. My men have been tailing you ever since."

Zaraki bared his teeth. He didn't like to think that anyone could shadow him without his noticing, and was less than pleased to hear that they had.

"Go back the way you came," Sui Feng continued. "I am relaying direct orders from Yamamoto-soutaichou. You are hereby forbidden to come within one thousand meters of this compound until further notice. Defying this order will mean immediate imprisonment."

Any other shinigami would have cowered under the heat of Zaraki's glare, but not Sui Feng. Despite the huge difference between them in size and the explosiveness of Zaraki's reiatsu, she was not afraid of him, and she held his rage-filled gaze without flinching.

Zaraki didn't say anything, but he did not back down, nor did he sheathe his sword.

"Or I could let you go on to Hueco Mundo," Sui Feng said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Who cares that you'll probably be stripped of the rank of captain and banished from Seireitei? It'll all be worth it, won't it? You'll get to indulge your incorrigible bloodlust! What cause is more worthy than _that?!_" She stepped forward, her black eyes narrowing. "No more hollows for you to fight, Zaraki. No more formidable opponents. You'll go back to wandering through Soul Society, hoping that every couple of decades you _might_ come across someone worth fighting." She nodded toward Yachiru, who still clung to Zaraki's shoulder. "It'll be back to rags and scrounging for food for her, too. We both know she'll follow you wherever you go. You're the only father figure she's ever known. Is it really worth it to condemn her to that kind of life again?"

"Ken-chan, let's go," Yachiru said quietly. "I don't want that, for me or for you." Her tiny fists gripped his tattered haori even tighter. "Besides, she scares me." Sui Feng was one of the most severe shinigami Yachiru had ever seen, and it unnerved her.

Zaraki seemed to falter, and Sui Feng knew she had won. Bringing Yachiru's welfare into it had hit a nerve. The little pink-haired girl was important to the scarred and (seemingly) one-eyed captain, but it probably hadn't even occurred to him that his actions might bring her misfortune.

There was only one person in all of Soul Society that he would never, _ever_ hurt, and that was Kusajishi Yachiru. She was like a daughter to him, and he guarded her as vigilantly and as fiercely as any parent guarded their young.

Zaraki snarled in his defeat, slamming his sword back into its sheathe and turning abruptly away from Sui Feng.

"You'll get your chance to avenge your comrades," she said to his back, halting his retreat momentarily. "But that time is not now."

He snorted derisively and stalked out of the courtyard, the bells in his hair jingling brightly in a strange counterpoint to his palpable anger.

Only when it was certain that he was gone did the tension disappear from the Kidou Corpsmen. There was a collective sigh of relief among them.

"Good work, all of you," Sui Feng commended them. "It takes a lot of guts to stand up to a brute like Zaraki Kenpachi."

**To be continued…**

**Author's Notes:** I'm exhausted. I worked on this all freaking day. I woke up with a strong urge to write, and I knew it was well past time for this story to get a new installment. This chapter is the result. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Ichimaru's finally come into the story. He's my favorite character in _Bleach_, believe it or not. The reason I write about Yumichika (my second favorite) much more is because I don't know if I have the skill to write Ichimaru well. He's an insanely complex character, which can be really hard to pull off. I hope my treatment of him does his character justice.

Aizen's intentions for Yumichika have been revealed as well. I would love to hear your thoughts on that, or any other part of this chapter. As I've said before, feedback is like a drug for me, and I'm going through withdrawal.

Baibai for now.


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